Scarlet Letter Rhetorical Analysis

“The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her—so much power to do, and power to sympathize— that many people refused to interpret the scarlet “A” by its original signification. They said that it meant “Able”, so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength” (129). It is ironic how Hester,s quest for true love made her ignore the sin of adultery and then how this same sin became the source of moral and spirtual uplifting of her character.

Hester is now much more accepted among the town at last, as Nathaniel Hawthorne states, “Many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength.” Hester becomes the symbol of strength in the novel. Her misfortunes have made her wise, for it says in Hawthorne’s

In the beginning of the novel, the letter “A” stood for a symbol of adultery. Since Hester has worn this letter, she now has a what seems permanent, sinful, label on her. Once Hester reveals the scarlet letter planted on her to the townspeople many are astonished that her beauty still shines with the big, bold, sinful letter plastered on her chest. As the book progresses, its prevalent how the meaning of the A switches for the better. In previous chapters, the A has had a negative connotation; however, Hester now interprets it to mean able.

At the same time, she becomes a compassionate figure. For example, she cares for the poor by bringing them food and clothing. By the end of the novel, Hester really is seen as an example, but not the type of example the Puritan leaders wanted her to be seen as. By “[wandering] without rule or guidance,” she becomes a profeminists figure to the women of the community. The shame associated to her scarlet letter is nonexistent; instead, it represents a whole new meaning:

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne commits a crime and she must wear a scarlet letter A as a punishment. The letter is placed upon her chest to be a constant reminder, to her and the town’s people, of the sin Hester committed. Because Hester has to wear the letter she is ostracized by the town, leaving her and her daughter Pearl on their own most of the time. To Hester, the letter stands for more than just adultery, the sin Hester committed. The scarlet letter represents Hester’s identity—the way society sees her and who she really is.

After going through suffering and embarrassment because of her crime, Hester realized that she was not enemy, but society was. With the shameful thoughts towards the scarlet letter on her clothing drifting away, the “A” had transformed into a symbol of independence, growth, and how Hester became to be the person she was when she had finally

Her needlework was widely appreciated, and her good deeds and kind attributes soon started to make people like her. “Many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification” (141). “They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength” (141). The reason the meaning of the scarlet letter changed was due to the amount of time that had passed and Hester’s great attitude. This transformation of the symbol has one important life lesson attached to it.

Through the book her punishments for this sin continually push her to become a stronger person. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses certain characters to show and demonstrate the effects that guilt can have on someone. Hester Prynne is the protagonist this this novel about the sin of adultery and its punishments in a Puritan society. Hester seems to accept her punishments and own up to what she was guilty for. As punishment

At first Hester was ashamed of what she had done, but she learned to accept it and didn’t let it define who she was; she continued to care for the poor, even when they began to mock her. The scarlet letter embroidered on her chest became a part of who Hester

To begin with, the most important and influential symbol in the entire book is the infamous scarlet letter, hence the title, The Scarlet Letter. In the second chapter, Hester walks out of the prison, wearing the infamous scarlet letter ‘A’. During the first few years of Hester’s punishment, the letter was a daily reminder of shame. In chapter five, Hawthorne writes,, “…Hester Prynne had always this dreadful agony in feeling a human eye upon the token; the spot never grew callous; it seemed, on the contrary, to grow more sensitive with daily torture.” As the story unfolds, though, this letter comes to mean other things to Hester and the people. Rather than bringing torture to Hester, it eventually becomes a symbol to some people meaning “able.” In chapter 13, Hawthorne writes, “They said that it meant ‘Able’; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength.” A few pages later, Hawthorne writes, “The scarlet letter had not done its office.” The scarlet letter was meant as a punishment for Hester, and yet here we see that it hasn’t punished Hester. Then, in chapter 18, Hawthorne writes, “Thus, we seem to see that, as regarded Hester Prynne, the whole seven years of outlaw and ignominy had been little other than a preparation for this very hour.” Although the scarlet letter does bring shame to Hester, as Hawthorne writes, it has not performed its duty. Hester plans to skip town and go back to Europe with Dimmesdale. If she had learned anything from the letter, she would have known better than to run away with a man who wasn’t her husband.

Hester’s longing to break the social stigma of what she is becomes so strong that she chooses to stay amongst all of her enemies. Hawthorne is strongly emphasizing the power of establishing authentic identity through Hester. She displays a formidable determination to fight back against the injustice that had come over her that is evident throughout the entirety of the book. “It lies not in the pleasure of the magistrates to take off this badge.” The Scarlet Letter that Hester displays assumes different meanings between the colony and her. Hester does not deny her sins, instead, she displays them for all to see. Reaffirming her effort to prove that society doesn’t rule over her, but that she maintains the authority to establish her own identity. If she was to yield to society, to succumb to its humiliation, the consequence would be her allowing the letter to burn shame into her heart. Empowering it to become a symbol of her pursuit to escape who she is and

As the story progresses they come to terms with Hester’s actions and begin to accept her again due to her constant helpfulness and her caring persona, shown when she sews for the needy (Hawthorne). “The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, —so much power to do, and power to sympathize, —that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength (Hawthorne,

At first, the scarlet letter meant "Adulteress" and was a sign of scorn.  It was a brand used for easy identification of an untrustworthy criminal.  But as time progressed, and the initial shock of such actions as adultery subsided, the townspeople, especially the women, took note of the fact that Hester had accepted the responsibility of her actions by sewing the scarlet letter herself.  They also observed that she did so with unmatched precision.  Eventually this made them yearn for needlepoint talent like she possessed.  They began relying on her to sew exquisite patterns for them, gradually inviting her back in their society.  By wearing the scarlet letter proudly, Hester had eventually changed the meaning of the "A" from "Adulteress" to "Able."  The townspeople saw Hester for her inner beauty, not for the scarlet letter forever branded onto her bosom.  They realized the sacrifice and pain that she went through to regain their trust and respect.  Gradually, throughout the novel the scarlet letter becomes an article of pride, and Hester a woman deserving respect.

“ She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom”( Hawthorne p.134). In the beginning of the book every character upholds a strict understanding with Puritan beliefs. They view the sin Hester commits very offensive and think she should receive a harsh punishment. The letter “A” represents her sin called adultery, but by the end of the book the letter “A” changes meanings. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne presents many symbols representing multiple characters and locations in the book. Throughout the book the meaning of the letter “A” starts to gradually change.

Comprehending American literature enables the readers to look into unique perspectives on a variety of themes and morals. Nathaniel Hawthorne, an early American author, has contributed to this concept. He wrote a series of romantic novels which emphasizes themes such as transcendentalism and nature. The Scarlet Letter, written by Hawthorne, is a novel that discovers those themes throughout a Puritan society. Even though Hawthorne never lived in a Puritan society, he writes the novel based on the religious society. The Puritan society that Hawthorne discusses about is very strict. In the society, all people who committed sins were punished. Hester Prynne, a young woman within the society, committed the act of adultery, and was severely humiliated throughout the town. Hester’s punishment was being forced to wear a scarlet letter, to be marked as an adulteress. Because of the humiliation, Hester decide to conform towards the society, while she also questions inwardly. In the Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne conforms outwardly and questions inwardly in order to highlight her development of strength and to maintain her own identity.