How Does The Author Use The Character Of Torvald Helmer To Explore A Social Issue?

In Chapter 1 of "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the event that involves the narrator is his discovery of the historical document, the Custom House manuscript, while working as a surveyor at the Salem Custom House. The narrator, who remains unnamed in this chapter but is later revealed as the character Hester Prynne's elderly lover and the father of her child, comes across the manuscript in the dusty attic of the Custom House. This document, which is adorned with a scarlet letter "A," serves as the catalyst for the narrator's fascination with the story of Hester Prynne and the events surrounding her public shaming and punishment for committing adultery. Through his discovery of this manuscript, the narrator becomes intricately involved in unfolding the tale that will become the heart of the novel.

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