Josh Lyon
Mrs. Voshell
Honors English 10
6 January 2017
Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter
Within The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne uses symbolism, “the use of symbols to represent ideas” (Bell 10), affluently. The amount of symbolism Hawthorne uses could lead some to believe that The Scarlet Letter is in fact an allegory. Nearly every object in Hawthorne’s novel is symbolic. Hawthorne uses everyday objects and places to symbolize many main themes, concepts, and ideas in the lives of Hester and Pearl as well as multiple other main characters.
Hester Prynne, the protagonist of the novel, is a symbol for human morality and the frailty therein. In the second chapter, when the townswomen are gossiping about Hester’s scandal, one of the women, who is
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In this way Chillingworth is a symbol for torture and punishment as well as revenge. Chillingworth wants to bring his vengeance upon the paramour of Hester. This motive is reinforced when Chillingworth states “His fame, his position, his life will be in my hands. Beware!” (Hawthorne 86). Once Roger Chillingworth had found the good reverend they were living in the same house, as Chillingworth was Arthur Dimmesdale’s physician. Chillingworth had his suspicions about the minister, but when he was certain Dimmesdale was the father to Hester’s child he began to torment Dimmesdale more than ever. Hawthorne writes of Chillingworth’s thoughts “He could play upon him as he chose.Would he arouse him with a throb of agony?...Would he startle him with sudden fear?” (Hawthorne 155)
Pearl is Hester 's and Dimmesdale’s daughter. She also symbolizes her mother’s sin. When Hester takes Pearl to Governor Bellingham, Dimmesdale says in Hester’s defense “...for a retribution too; a torture to be felt...an ever-recurring agony...so forcibly reminding us of that red symbol which sears her bosom?” (Hawthorne 126). By this Dimmesdale means that Hester can never forget her sin because Pearl will always be there as a constant reminder of Hester’s past.
When at the Governor’s mansion we can see Governor Billingham as he symbolizes purity as well as law and order. The Reverend Wilson can also symbolize purity and law, as there was little to no separation of
The five most important scenes of The Scarlet Letter were first, Hester holding baby Pearl being shamed on the scaffold right in the beginning. Second, when Chillingworth found out that Dimmesdale was the man who committed adultery with Hester. Third, when Hester and Dimmesdale were in the forest talking about fleeing and living with only each other and Pearl. Fourth, in which Dimmesdale finally reveals his sin to the public as he is on death’s bed. Finally, the last most important scene of the novel, is the “happy ending” when everything gets wrapped up.
From the beginning of the scarlet letter author Nathaniel Hawthorne starts off using symbolism. He represents the prison as a place of darkness and sin and describes the surrounding of the prison as old and worn. Then follows to tell the reader that there is a rosebush in the prison which is an odd place for it to be and it symbolizes the grace of God. Another major symbol in this story is Hester’s daughter Pearl, she illustrates the consequences of sin and the chance of redemption. The reason for Hester naming Pearl was that she was her only treasure and she lost all of the things she owned (her social status) to have her. Not to forget the biggest symbol The Scarlett letter which represents her sins, mistakes, skill, adultery, and much more. At first Hester wears the “fine red cloth surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread” on her breast as a punishment but as the story continues the “A” changes from Adultery to Able as she is seen different from all the good deeds she has done.
Another use of Pearl is that she seems to be able to change the characters in the novel. Due to her sin and the birth of Pearl, Hester must now wear the scarlet letter for the rest of her life (Hawthorne 60). Dimmesdale also has to wear something for his sin. But Dimmesdale does it in secret since no one knows he is the father of Pearl. He has disfigured his chest in some way. Near the end of the novel, Hester finally takes off her scarlet letter after Dimmesdale and her make plans to leave Boston with Pearl. Pearl, who does not like this, grows angry at her mother and begs Hester to put the scarlet letter back on . “Pearl causes a visible change in Hester by audibly, imperiously, and petulantly demanding that her mother pin the discarded A in its customary place” (McNamara 540). At the end of the novel Dimmesdale shows to everyone his chest and what he has done. He also confesses to being the father of Pearl. “With a convulsive motion, he tore away the ministerial band from before his breast. It was revealed!” (Hawthorne 281). All the
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There are many forms of symbolism found in The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne, the author uses his many forms of symbolism to project a lesson or moral created throughout the story. Even each of the main characters has a different moral representation. Guilt, repentance, purity, and strength each are shown through the eyes of a different character. Pear, Hester Prynne, Chillingworth, and Reverend Dimmesdale are main characters that are used to show that you should “Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred!”(Hawthorne286)
One of the most obvious and insidious symbols that Nathaniel Hawthorne includes, hence the name “The Scarlet Letter”, is the scarlet letter “A” that is placed upon Hester’s chest. However, the majority of symbolism that Hawthorne includes, is not as prominent as that of the scarlet letter. Hawthorne includes a copious amount of symbolic meanings in his famous novel The Scarlet Letter that gives each chapter a deeper meaning.
Pearl condemns Hester to a life of shame by forcing her to constantly remember her sin. In particular when the townspeople threaten to take Pearl away from Hester: However, Dimmesdale speaks up and says “‘It meant, doubtless the mother herself told us, for a retribution too; a torture to be felt at many an unthought-of moment; a pang, a sting, an ever-recurring agony...’”(65). This shows that Dimmesdale believes that the reminder of her sin, Pearl, is a worthy recurring punishment and torture for her. Ironically, later it is found that Dimmesdale is Pearl’s unknown father. Suddenly the text has another meaning. He says that her sin is punishment worthy, but he is guilty of the same crime. In other words, he believes he also deserves such punishment
Second, Pearl is a symbol of Hester’s salvation and reason to keep living. Hester names her baby Pearl because she has paid a great price for her. In chapter eight, Hester has to fight to keep Pearl. When they go to the governor’s mansion, he threatens to take Pearl away from Hester. Pearl tells the men at the governor’s mansion that she was picked in the garden by the prison door. They are worried about her well being with Hester and want to remove her from mother. Hester fights to keep Pearl. ‘“God gave her into my keeping,” repeated Hester Prynne, raising her voice almost to a shriek. “I will not give her up!”—And here, by sudden impulse, she turned to the young clergyman, Mr. Dimmesdale, at whom, up to this moment, she had seemed hardly so much as once to direct her eyes” (Hawthorne 124). Pearl is a symbol of Hester’s sin and now Hester has to raise Pearl and teach her what she did wrong. Dimmesdale steps in and tries to back up Hester and tells the governor that Pearl would guide Hester and keep her from making mistakes that she made in the past. God has given Pearl to Hester as a blessing and a reminder of her sin. The mother and daughter have already built a strong bond and Pearl is keeping Hester alive. After all of this, Hester is allowed to take Pearl home with her, but she must follow guidelines. Hester was asked to join the Black Man in the
In addition, Hawthorne uses Pearl to contribute to the theme of sin. Pearl is the daughter of Hester Prynne and Dimmesdale, she has a very strange nature to her because she was born into darkness, she was bought at a great price. She was made like a real pearl, being made from extreme darkness and pressure, hence the name Pearl. In the beginning of the story around when she was first brought out of the prison at the age of around 3 months, Hawthorne says,”... had brought it acquainted only with the gray twilight of a dungeon, or other darksome apartment of the prison.”(Hawthorne 50). Hawthorne said this because Hester had Pearl in the prison, which means that Pearl was born into darkness. Nevertheless this contributes to the theme of Pearl because she is considered a token of shame because Hester committed adultery to have her. Over time Hester sees a change in Pearl as she gets older and is worried about how she is changing and how her nature is transfiguring. Hawthorne says, “Day after day, she looked fearfully in the child’s expanding nature… dreading to detect some dark and wild peculiarity...correspond with the guiltiness to which she held her being.”(Hawthorne 82). Hawthorne insights on this because Hester has worried about what Pearl was turning into, Pearl plays with her imagination, not playing with friends, but
Symbolism is vital in creating a story that is remembered; The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is an example of a story where the meaning is what makes the story memorable. There are many examples of symbols in this story like sunshine, the letter itself, or simply some of the character’s lives. Pearl is a good example of a life that acts as a symbol as its own; Pearl represents the symbol of mistake, regret, and hope.
Symbolism is a common approach used in writing, but it is not to be taken for its exact connotation. In literature, the symbol can be a person, item, circumstance, or action that has a more profound significance in the writing. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne there are four main symbols that the reader would notice. The symbols include, the colors red and black, the meteor, Pearl, and the scarlet letter itself. Hawthorne uses symbolism in the novel to communicate his message.
Symbols unlock the secrets of a story. Hawthorne, in The Scarlet Letter, uses many symbols to represent different things. Some symbols represent the same thing. The letter “A” has many meanings, each character has their own meanings, and even the different parts of nature are symbols. Also, apart from providing structure for the novel, each scaffold scene conveys something different. One could say, arguably, that nearly everything in The Scarlet Letter is a symbol for something else.
Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many forms of symbolism in his book The Scarlet Letter. Symbolism is, according to Merriam-Webster, “the art or practice of using symbols, especially by investing things with a symbolic meaning or by expressing the invisible or intangible by means of visual or sensuous representations.” This means that the author was using objects to represent an action or idea. The symbols used in his book is either all physical or visible objects. Many of the symbols in the book are about characters.Nathaniel’s ideas came from his bonds with the Puritans. According to CliffsNotes, “the Puritans had great difficulty in loving the sinner and hating the sin”. With the Puritans strong hatred for sin,
Gambling has been a popular activity in the United States from the 1600’s to the present day United States. As gambling grows as a worldwide enterprise, it expands the United States with the opportunities it provides and the attention it consumes. Gambling as a whole benefits different recreational activities and events such as sports. Gambling also allows people visiting places like Las Vegas to enjoy playing poker with friends and even winning money after a game of poker or Slot Machine. Gambling allows many activities to be expanded to their full potential and offer people the full
While Hester is a feminist, not only does she share the ideals but shows superiority to the town while being fearless. " It may seem marvelous, that this woman should still call that place her home, where, and where only, she must needs be the type of shame.” (chapter 5, paragraph 2) Hester does not let the shame and remorse of the sin keep her away from the town like most would do. Hawthorne even states that Dimmesdale is weaker than Hester by punishing himself and holding his heart while Hester embraces the sin and is strong while carrying the letter on her chest. She leads a self-righteous life, although she could keep what she earns, she gives most away. Even the townsfolk say Hester is "so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comfortable to the afflicted."(chapter 13, paragraph 5) Hester can be seen over the townspeople helping them although they shamed her. Hawthorne presents that Hester’s “tendency of her fate and fortunes had been to set her free.” (chapter 18, paragraph 2) With this Hester has a “radiant and tender smile, that seemed gushing from the very heart of womanhood. (chapter 18, paragraph 12) These quotes from Hawthorne show that Hester’s kindness helps her overcome her sin on her own. With Hester’s contribution to the town, “Her handiwork became what would now be termed the fashion.” (chapter 5, paragraph 6) In his research, Sacvan Bercovitch remarks that “Hester Prynne ‘builds upon the tradition of the biblical Esther -