Scaffold And Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter

The scaffold represents Hester’s love for Dimmesdale, his cowardice, and his increase in courage to explain the reasons behind the scaffold remaining a constant symbol throughout the novel. Hester and Dimmesdale both undergo different experiences on the scaffold, due to their difference in reasoning, as Hester love for Dimmesdale obscures her thoughts, and Dimmesdale first remains a coward and then gathers the courage to confess. The scaffold is not just a public punishment, but it is also a place for one to confess and free themselves of their

The second scaffold scene is climax of internal suffering within Dimmesdale. Up until this point, Dimmesdale has been maintaining his position as Hester’s accuser and a hypocrite, unbeknownst to the rest of the townspeople. His agony is evident with the struggle of his perfect reputation battling against the sin he committed. This scene is one of anguish, clearly shown when Dimmesdale cries out in physical and mental pain. At the location of Hester’s humiliation, Dimmesdale holds a silent vigil. This scaffold scene is not an improvement from the first. In fact, it only highlights the lack of courage that Dimmesdale possesses. His feeble attempt at confronting his sin is a “mockery of penitence” (pg 83), only a half hearted attempt to confess

In the novel "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne symbolism is used to represent the evolution of the characters primarily that of Hester Prynne. Two of these symbols as they are used repeatedly create underlying truths telling their own story of growth and understanding as sunshine and the letter "A" bring to light who Hester Prynne truly is.

In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne establishes the idea that motifs are a useful tool to convey a theme. The author’s use of their techniques makes their messages easier to comprehend; the reason being that their physical presence repeats itself throughout the text. Usually, the motifs are visible in important parts of the story, communicating a simple message for the reader. Additionally, other techniques authors may use to establish theme may include symbolism, character, setting, plot, diction, figurative language,or point of view. Finding the techniques that best suits the purpose in the responsibility of the writer. With a wide range of methods of conveying theme, writers need to experiment and observe what works best for their text. This

In the second scaffold scene, it seems as if Hester has changed from sinner into a citizen who now has a job in society, and that she no longer yearns for Dimmesdale and Dimmesdale no longer covets her. However, this is not true. Hawthorne writes, “The moment that he did so, there came what seemed a tumultuous rush of new life, other life than his own, pouring like a torrent into his heart, and hurrying through all his veins…The three formed an electric chain.'; (page 105) The reader learns from this quote that Dimmesdale and Hester still have a great love for each other. It is also from this quote that the “A'; on Hester has not worked as well as it was intended. Hester still has a great love for the man with whom she had an affair and this may never change. Furthermore, her banishment has given her time to focus on her love for Dimmesdale. Here the scaffold represents Hester’s unwillingness to not love Dimmesdale.

It was Election Day and Dimmesdale was giving his sermon inside the church. This sermon was his most powerful sermon that he had given. As Dimmesdale was inside the church giving his sermon, Hester was standing outside the church next to the scaffold with Pearl. When Dimmesdale finished his sermon, there was a procession to the town hall. However he did not proceed with the procession. He went to climb the scaffold and called Hester and Pearl to join him. Chillingworth tried to stop him because he knew what he was going to do so he said that he could still save him. Dimmesdale brushed him off and continued to climb the scaffold. Malcolm Cowley states, “Facing the crowd he tears open his ministerial band and shows that there is a scarlet A imprinted on his own flesh” (Cowley 16). He exposed his sin because he wanted to be free of his sin and be with Hester and Pearl. This scene also describes Dimmesdale’s dying words and actions. He asked God to forgive Chillingworth and asked if Pearl would kiss him. So Pearl kissed him on the lips. This was significant because it showed that she accepted and forgave him. Hester also asked him if they would ever see each other again, but he does not think they will because of their

The Scarlet Letter takes place at the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the 17th century, this is where the Puritans settled after leaving the New World because they wanted to “purify” the Church of England. The Puritans were a sect of Protestant Christians influenced by Calvinism, the idealized that salvation is predestined. They believed that religious behavior was a result of salvation, so with the Puritan communities so invested in purity sins were punished harshly and removed. Hawthorne sets the scene of the first chapter with a dark and gloomy effect, the dark nature of the prison established in the “vicinity of Cornhill”, by early settlers. The prison describe as an “ugly edifice” and “black flower of civilized society” with weeds growing in front of the shadowy structure where groups of Puritans dressed in there normal boring clothes have gathered. A rose bush stands beside the weeds, it foreshadows that brightness may be found along the track, or it eases the darkening close.

Dimmesdale screams in pain and is fearful that the people of the town will wake up and come see him upon the platform. The narrator tells us that the townspeople took the cries instead for that of a witch (144). This second scaffold scene is slightly different than the first. Most importantly, Dimmesdale chooses to expose his sin at night when no one can see. Also, the fact that he tells Pearl he will not hold her and her mother’s hand on the scaffold in daylight when everyone can see signifies that the minister still does not have the courage to take responsibility for his sins. He has only acknowledged his sin to God and that they will all stand together on judgment day (148-149). On the platform his role is reversed. He is no longer the sullen and heartsick minister, but a wry man who laughs at everything that occurs on ground level. He is no longer the Christian minister, but the pagan whose screams were assumed to have come from a witch and finally, no one would believe that this church symbol, high with esteem and virtue, would be in the same place as Hester Prynne, the lowest woman in town (147).

The scaffold shows how the punishment imposed on us by others may not be as destructive as the guilt we impose on ourselves. When Hester was standing on the scaffold she is not thinking about being punished. She is having flashbacks to earlier times and feeling guilty for what she had done. The scaffold is a platform used for redemption and a symbol of the harsh Puritan code.

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,

The scaffold appears early in the when Hester Prynne is forced to climb up to the scaffold where her punishment will be carried out. The mother and child are gawked at and humiliated, as they are forced to stand there on display for the town. Hawthorne writes:

Hester is isolated and alienated as she stands on top of the scaffold for the town to publicly scrutinize her. Hester had to endure the public humiliation and cope with her feelings alone as she stand on the scaffold. Quote #2: “Dimmesdale reached the spot where, now so long since, Hester Prynne had lived through her first hours of public ignominy. The same platform or scaffold, black and weather stained with the storm or sunshine of seven long years...

In contrast to the first scaffold scene, the second one happened during the night, completely unseen by the other villagers. Again, we see Dimmesdale and Hester (and Pearl), but this time, the lovers appeared to be both on the platform of shame. In this passage, Dimmesdale finally decided to act upon his guilt since he “had been driven hither (to the scaffold) by the impulse that Remorse which dogged him everywhere” (132-133). This scene symbolizes a moment of great insight for the minister because he started to understand a way to repent himself. As Dimmesdale touched his little girl’s hand, he experienced “[an]other life than his own, pouring like a torrent into his heart and hurrying through all his veins, as if the mother and the child were communicating their vital warmth to his half-torpid system” (137). The miserable sinner, who lived in utter darkness and despair for such a long time, at last began to grasp his responsibility towards Hester and Pearl and his role in the redemption of all three characters. However, Dimmesdale’s insight was not complete because he was still bounded with fear. When Pearl asked him to expose his sin to the public and admit her as his legitimate child, his courage

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, symbolsim is constantly present in the actual scarlet letter “A” as it is viewed as a symbol of sin and the gradally changes its meanign, guilt is also a mejore symbol, and Pearl’s role in this novel is symbolic as well. The Scarlet Letter includes many profound and crucial symbols. these devices of symbolism are best portayed in the novel, most noticably through the letter “A” best exemplifies the changes in the symbolic meaning throughout the novel.

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