When reading The Scarlet Letter, one might find the introduction chapter, The Custom House, a little bit confusing and maybe even a little bit pointless. Despite the temptation to just flip through the first 44 pages and go on to the first chapter, one needs the introduction understood and absorbed in order to understand Nathaniel Hawthorne and the thought put behind and the significance of the Scarlet Letter.
             The autobiographical sketch talks about Hawthorne's life and times, as well as how he ended up writing The Scarlet Letter. It also gives the story a sense of authenticity, when Hawthorne tells the reader about the scarlet colored A, and some papers with the story of a woman who went through similar events as Hester did, on the second story of the Custom House. He said,
             But the object that most drew my attention, in the mysterious package, was a certain affair of fine red cloth, much worn and faded[...]It was the capital letter A. [...]It had been intended, there could be no doubt, as an ornamental article of dress [...] was a riddle which...I saw little hope of solving. (30)
             Whether or not Hawthorne really found the papers and the real scarlet letter isn't known, but the fact that he tells he found the things and that the letter didn't just feel like scarlet fabric touching his chest, but a red hot iron, gives the reader something to trust in that The Scarlet Letter has a meaning, basis, and that it might even be a true story. It just makes the story more believable in other words.
             Hawthorne's writing style is also introduced in the Custom House chapter. While he descriptively tells the reader details of the people and scenes, Hawthorne gives us a glimpse into his past at the same time he introduces his writing style. A strongpoint in Hawthorne's style is his hard-to-match ability at characterization. This isn't first seen when the reader figure
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