Scarlet Letter And Symbolism

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.

Hester is a character portrayed in both the light and the dark as she walks out of prison. She is free of sin, but is reminded everyday by the letter she wears. Hester struggled with the Puritan’s intolerance to Pearl and her. Hester “like a black shadow emerging out into the sunshine like she was free of sin” depicts the contrast between light and dark. (Hawthorne 49). When she walked into the sunshine she felt like something was lifted off of her chest. As a seamstress she had “sewn on her chest in bright red…an A” (Hawthorne 50). This mark symbolized the acceptance of her sin.

Nathaniel Hawthorne and Symbolism Symbolism within the Minister’s black veil and the Scarlet Letter is rampant throughout. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses several physical objects as symbols for many things. The most obvious symbols being the Scarlet Letter and the Minister’s black veil itself.

In his book, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne tells of a story where a young woman has had an adulterous relationship with a respected priest in a Puritan community. Typical of Hawthorne's writings is the use of imagery and symbolism. In Chapter 12, The Minister's Vigil, there are several uses of imagery when Dimmesdale, the priest, is battling with confessing his sin, which has plagued him for seven years. Three evident techniques used to personify symbolism in this chapter are the use of darkness versus light, the use of inner guilt versus confession, and lastly the use of colors (black versus white).

Symbolism is simply defined as the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. Symbolism is a common occurrence in literary works and many books use symbolism to express mystical ideas, emotions, and states of mind. As in most literary works, symbolism also appears in The Scarlet Letter. There is lots of symbolism used in The Scarlet Letter to convey multiple things and to express many ideas. Symbolism can be found everywhere in The Scarlet Letter and many of the symbols that appear play very important roles in the progression of the story and give the reader a better understanding of the idea that Hawthorne is trying to get across. Hawthorne intentionally uses symbolism in The Scarlet Letter to convey

Okay so, In the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Nathaniel gives us three symbols that all back up the main theme of this book. The big overall idea is that people don’t have to let their mistakes or past wrongdoings define who they really are or where they’ll end up. It’s all about how one must live their own life to be truly happy. Many of the symbols in this story may seem unprecedented, but in actuality the symbols have a much deeper , more meaningful meaning. Although this book is filled with underlying symbols , there are three in which truly support the main idea : Scarlet Letter A , The meteor , and Pearl.

The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne is abundant with symbols. Hawthorne’s use of symbols was used to enlarge literal meaning and to make you think of the biggest symbol that the whole story was featured around, the red letter ‘A’. The Scarlet Letter is based back in seventeenth century Boston, which at the time was a purely Puritan society. Hester

From the first chapter in The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne conveys a very symbolic technique, color imagery.

Throughout his literary endeavors, Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes symbolism to present a certain theme that pertains to human nature and life. In his works, The Scarlet Letter and "The Minister's Black Veil", Hawthorne uses symbolism to present a common theme pertaining to religion; that though manifested sin will ostracize a person from society, un-confessed sin will destroy the soul.

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.

In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author presents three symbols that all reinforce the main idea of the novel. The main idea that reoccurred throughout the novel is that people don’t have to let their mistakes or circumstances determine who they are or what they become; it’s all in how one interprets life. Many symbols may seem as just an ordinary character or coincidental object to some readers, but the symbols have a deeper, underlying meaning. Although there are many symbols in this book, there are three that really help support the main idea: Hester Prynne’s scarlet letter, the meteor, and Hester’s daughter Pearl.

Symbolism is a powerful tool used in the Scarlet letter. Hawthorne creates a metaphorical image where he presents two completely opposite objects and highlights its similar characteristics. The significance of symbolism gives a poetic style to the characters of the story. This hidden comparison can trigger emotions in the reader, where they change the way the feel about the characters as they read on. Sometimes symbolism magnifies a situation, this can come across as exaggeration, but Hawthorne’s intention is to try to recreate that particular Puritan society for the reader to understand. The setting takes place in the Puritan town of Boston where Hester Prynne resides Symbolism will give you more than just a straightforward answer. This indirect differentiation causes the reader to think deeply, and as a result is left with countless possibilities to associate different meanings to a symbol. In this essay I will focus on the following symbols: the letter ‘A’ and the needle-work associated with it, as well as Pearl and exploring their significance to the themes of the novel.

“Individuals...had quite forgiven Hester Prynne...It is our Hester, the town’s own Hester, who is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick...” (149). Hester is protected from all evil that might be around her, and “had the effect of the cross on a nun’s bosom” (149). The letter became a symbol of love and respect, and meant something good. Hester is able to deal with the townspeople, and they see her and have a new liking for her. They seem to forgive her for everything that she has done, like it doesn't matter, or it never happened. If Hester ran away from Boston, it would have shown her weakness. It would have shown that people of the town had power over her, and could make her feel guilty. Running away would show everybody that she was ashamed, and wasn't really good enough to live among them. Staying in Boston showed the townspeople that she was able to overcome her shame and that adultery is a part of who she is as a person. By accepting her adultery Hester is able to move on, having learned from her experiences. At one point Hester says: “Were I to be quit of it, it would fall away of its own nature, or be transformed into something that should speak of a different purport” (155). This foreshadows that the letter A might show up in new ways.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a classic novel that revolves around the Puritan community in the early Massachusetts colony and their negative reactions to adultery. The story mainly focuses on Hester Prynne, a woman that committed an act of infidelity when she assumes her husband, Roger Chillingworth, to be dead and decides to have an affair with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester unexpectedly becomes pregnant with a child named Pearl and as a life-long punishment for her action, she must wear an embroidery of the letter “A” on her chest that stands for adultery. Within her community and herself, the symbolic letter “A” is viewed with disdain. But as the story develops, the letter is perceived in a more positive way. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne’s letter “A” is viewed as a symbol of shame and sin, but the letter gradually evolves into an emblem of Hester’s identity, a representation of Pearl’s security, and an evolution of the Puritan community.

Puritan Society was a strict society based upon Christianity and the determination to cleanse the Church of England and bring back Anglicanism. The puritans were strictly against sin and all things leading to it. Sinning led to severe punishment especially amongst among the most unprivileged people. They were not always as reasonable as today in their discipline. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, published in 1850, shows this. After Hester Prynne, the leading protagonist, and her husband moved to the colonies from England, her husband left her for many years and didn’t return. During this time, she committed adultery. Although she was very beautiful to the people in Boston, she was only a helpless seamstress and she was arrested before being sentenced into lifelong punishment wearing the “Scarlet letter”, a capital A.