Study Guide … is a collection of notes that introduce students – and not only students – to poems, novels or plays written in English. They facilitate learning supplying the most important information about the literary works and so fostering their comprehension.The first part of the Study Guide about The Scarlet Letter includes the historical, social and literary background of the period in which the book was written, and some biographical notes about the author. Nathaniel Hawthorne. The second part focuses on the work and deals with sources, setting, characters, commentary, critical approach, possible adaptations for theatre, cinema or television and further notes.