feel a little puzzled

[susan8787]

what is the introduction in this novel for ? it seems that the author spends a large number of words on describing the custom house . Does it have anything to do with our story ? Or is it a tradition for writers at that time ?
i am new on literature . please help me out !

[Wilde woman]

I believe this should go under Hawthorne's section.

To answer your question, "The Custom House" (if you read the whole thing) introduces the story of the scarlet letter, through a set of historical documents that the narrator supposedly finds while rummaging in the custom house. By doing this, Hawthorne gives us readers the illusion that the Scarlet Letter is a true story, using a technique called verisimilitude. It is not a true story, though Hawthorne in real life did work in a custom house. I think part of the reason Hawthorne wrote such a long introduction was to make readers think of Hester Prynne as a real woman, who could've lived in Puritan New England.

Hope that helps...