7 Hilarious Scarlet Letter Memes That Prove Nathaniel Hawthorne Is Still Relevant (And Painfully Funny)

In December 2025, *The Scarlet Letter* continues its enduring legacy, not just in high school English classes, but across the internet as a surprisingly rich source of literature memes. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel, a deep dive into sin, guilt, and hypocrisy in 17th-century Puritan Boston, has been reborn in the digital age. The novel’s over-the-top drama, its famously dense prose, and the sheer absurdity of the characters' situations make it perfect fodder for viral jokes. These memes offer a fresh, often hilarious perspective on the classic text, proving that even the most serious American novel can be a goldmine for modern satire. The sheer volume of internet content dedicated to this novel highlights its cultural staying power, transforming complex literary themes into relatable, bite-sized comedy. The best memes—the ones that go truly viral—are those that perfectly capture the frustration of reading Hawthorne's endless paragraphs or the agonizing, self-inflicted pain of Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale.

The A-List: Essential Entities and Topical Authority from The Scarlet Letter

To fully appreciate the humor, one must first recognize the core literary entities and themes that fuel the jokes. The memes are a direct commentary on these elements, offering a satirical analysis of the text.

• Hester Prynne: The protagonist, forced to wear the embroidered scarlet letter 'A'.
• Arthur Dimmesdale: The tormented, secretly guilty minister, father of Pearl.
• Roger Chillingworth: Hester's long-lost husband, a vengeful "leech" seeking to torment Dimmesdale.
• Pearl: Hester’s illegitimate, "elf-like" daughter, a living symbol of the sin.
• The Scarlet Letter 'A': The central symbol, initially for "Adulteress," but later evolving to represent "Able" or "Angel."
• The Scaffold: The public platform where Hester is shamed, a recurring symbol of public judgment.
• Puritan Society: The rigid, hypocritical community of 17th-century Boston.
• Themes: Sin, Guilt, Shame, Hypocrisy, Public vs. Private Life, Nature vs. Society, and Individuality.
• Other Entities: Governor Bellingham, Mistress Hibbins (the witch), The Forest (Nature/Freedom), The Rosebush (Nature's pity), Governor's Hall.

7 Scarlet Letter Meme Categories That Perfectly Satirize the Classic Novel

The most popular and shared *Scarlet Letter* memes fall into distinct categories, each targeting a specific literary element or character flaw.

1. The "Hawthorne’s Prose" Struggle

This category is perhaps the most universally relatable for anyone who has had to read the novel. Nathaniel Hawthorne is notorious for his incredibly long, labyrinthine sentences and his tendency to spend an entire chapter describing a single object or concept. * The Joke: Memes often use the "Distracted Boyfriend" or "Spongebob's Time Card" templates to highlight the reader's journey through a single, sprawling paragraph. The meme will often feature text like, "Me, trying to find the subject and verb" or "One sentence later..." * The Literary Context: This humor is a direct critique of the 19th-century Romantic and Dark Romantic writing style, which prioritized elaborate description and complex syntax over modern brevity. The jokes essentially ask: "Did this sentence really need 15 commas and three subordinate clauses?"

2. Dimmesdale: The Original Emo

Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, the secret father of Pearl, is a walking embodiment of internalized guilt. His constant self-flagellation, his hand over his heart, and his inability to confess make him a prime target for modern psychological humor. * The Joke: Memes frequently label Dimmesdale as the "Secret Guilt Club President" or the "Original Emo." One popular format shows a dramatic, crying figure with the caption: "When you preach a sermon on sin so powerful it makes everyone else feel guilty, but you're the real sinner." Another common joke is Dimmesdale standing near the scaffold but refusing to join Hester, captioned with a modern excuse like, "I'll just wait in the car." * The Literary Context: This satire addresses the novel's core theme of *private* sin versus *public* shame. Dimmesdale's physical and mental decay due to his hidden guilt is a key plot point, and the memes turn his dramatic suffering into a commentary on modern anxiety and over-the-top self-pity.

3. The Ever-Evolving Letter 'A'

The scarlet letter itself is the most powerful symbol in the novel, and its multiple interpretations are a source of endless confusion—and comedy—for students. * The Joke: Memes use the "Expanding Brain" template to chart the letter's journey. It starts with a small brain: "A is for Adulteress." The brain expands: "A is for Able." The brain is galaxy-sized: "A is for Awesome" or "A is for... wait, what is it this week?" This is a key LSI keyword focus. * The Literary Context: The humor lies in the literary device of ambiguity. Hawthorne intentionally makes the symbol's meaning fluid, allowing it to change from a mark of shame to a badge of honor, reflecting Hester's moral growth and the community’s eventual respect for her. The memes playfully mock the academic struggle to pin down a single definition.

4. Pearl: The Human Symbol

Hester's daughter, Pearl, is famously described as an "elf-child," a living symbol of her mother's sin, and a strange, unnerving presence throughout the book. * The Joke: Pearl's strange and persistent questioning of the 'A' is a frequent meme subject. One popular meme shows a child relentlessly poking an adult, captioned: "Pearl asking Hester, 'What does the scarlet letter mean, Mother? Why does the minister hold his hand over his heart?' for the 500th time." * The Literary Context: Pearl serves as Hester's conscience and a link to the natural world. Her relentless focus on the 'A' ensures Hester can never forget her sin. The memes capture the sheer annoyance and psychological pressure this "human symbol" places on the main characters.

5. Chillingworth: The Vengeful Leech

Roger Chillingworth, the physician who dedicates his life to tormenting Dimmesdale, is the closest the novel has to a clear villain. His transformation from a learned scholar to a malevolent, physically deformed man makes him a classic meme-worthy antagonist. * The Joke: Chillingworth is often depicted as the ultimate stalker or a petty ex-husband. Memes show him lurking in the shadows, captioned: "Me, watching my enemy slowly destroy himself from the inside while I pretend to be his friend/doctor." He is frequently referred to as the "Original Leech." * The Literary Context: Chillingworth embodies the theme of The Nature of Evil. His sin is not one of passion but of cold, intellectual vengeance, which Hawthorne suggests is the worst kind. The memes highlight his obsessive, parasitic relationship with Dimmesdale.

6. Puritan Hypocrisy and Modern Shaming

The novel is a powerful critique of the Puritan community's judgment and hypocrisy, a theme that resonates strongly with modern "cancel culture" and online shaming. * The Joke: This category often uses the concept of the "scarlet letter" to label modern social sins. A popular 2024 variation is the "Karen" meme, where the name itself becomes a modern-day 'A' for social offense. Other memes simply show a crowd of judgmental Puritans pointing, captioned: "The internet when someone has a slightly unpopular opinion." * The Literary Context: The Puritans' public shaming of Hester while their own sins remain hidden is the novel's central social commentary. The memes effectively draw a parallel between 17th-century moral policing and 21st-century online judgment, demonstrating the novel's enduring relevance.

7. The Forest vs. Town Escape Plan

The forest is the one place where Hester and Dimmesdale can momentarily escape the rigid laws of the town and be truly themselves. * The Joke: Memes contrast the stifling atmosphere of the town with the freedom of the forest. One classic meme uses the two-panel format: Panel 1 (The Town): Hester wearing the 'A' and Dimmesdale clutching his chest, captioned "Society." Panel 2 (The Forest): Hester with her hair down and the 'A' removed, captioned "Vacation/Freedom." The joke highlights the brief, almost comical, moment when Hester literally throws off her symbolic burden. * The Literary Context: The forest symbolizes Nature, Freedom, and Passion, acting as a foil to the town's rigid Law, Order, and Suppression. The memes capture the fleeting, almost desperate nature of their escape, which is ultimately unsustainable.