The term 'Hawthorne Heroine' refers to three characters from Nathaniel Hawthorne's works: Hester Prynne, the protagonist of The Scarlet Letter; Zenobia, the protagonist of The Blithedale Romance; and Priscilla, a minor character in The House of the Seven Gables. Hester Prynne is a young woman who is publicly shamed for having a child out of wedlock and is forced to wear a scarlet letter 'A' on her clothing. Zenobia is a strong-willed feminist who challenges the traditional gender roles of her time. Priscilla is a gentle, pious woman who is a foil to the other characters in the novel. All three characters are examples of Hawthorne's exploration of the human condition and his examination of morality.