Symbols In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

2009. A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. Analyze a symbol in George Orwell's 1984, and write an essay demonstrating how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

Historically, Puritanism was a popular way of life, playing a major role in English history during the first half of the 17th century. Back in that time a man named Nathaniel Hawthorne, who was a well known writer, had a history of creating stories about Puritan society. Although he wrote about the Puritans, he most certainly did not favor them, and this has become obvious throughout the storyline. In the uptight and dismal culture that Hawthorne paints for us in The Scarlet Letter, his distaste, annoyance, and utter hostility towards the Puritans in this time exemplify Hawthorne’s use of diction and symbols to persuade readers to dislike Puritans and their culture.

The scarlet letter is a symbol of guilt with the power to transform not only its wearer, but everyone involved in its inaugural scandal. Pearl and the letter share a certain relationship, and at times seem to mirror each other, as they exhibit similar tendencies. As children of indignity alike, they unconsciously serve as emotional grim reapers, and together, they unwillingly carry out the supernatural mandate of punishment rationed to them through sadistic and demoniac means. Because the two chosen are but unwilling situational puppets strewn by fate, it is impossible for self proclaimed vigilantes of the paranormal to come out unscathed. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s thusly named romantic novel of 1850, the scarlet letter, its identity, and

Webster defined "symbol" with these words: "Something concrete that represents or suggests another thing that cannot in itself be pictured." This concept has been particularly applied to literature and used by writers throughout history. Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter uses multitudes of symbols in such a manner. One of the most prominent, and most complicated, of such symbols is the scarlet letter "A". The scarlet letter "A" is a symbol of a daughter's connection to her mother, isolation, and the devil and its associations.

The Scarlet Letter is a novel that took place in the 17th century, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The heartbreaking story of the main character, Hester Prynne dispersed the reader's’ thoughts. Hester Prynne suffered from adultery, where she had a child without father’s presence and support. Hester also suffered from bullying, where she was conjectured by superior people in the Puritan Legacy. The Scarlet Letter illustrated many bullying examples throughout certain chapters of the book.

Using symbolism gives a story meaning like the objects and people that the story contains, and it causes the reader to make relations with what events are occurring. In The Scarlet Letter, symbolism is used in order to describe Hester Prynne’s sin and disgrace. Even though the story is about her and how she handles the shame, the other culprit behind the lust, Arthur Dimmesdale, does not actually come forward until the end, but he suffers throughout the book by beating himself. In the end, however, he dies because he withheld the guilt while Hester suffers with their child, Pearl, who is one of the symbols of the story. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses rhetorical devices, especially symbolism, in order to show objects have deeper meanings than what they actually represent when he describes the scene when Hester Prynne is standing on the scaffold in the middle of the town in front of thousands of citizens.

Perhaps one of the simplest ways to reveal a message is through symbols. Symbols, although only mere representations of concepts, objects, or ideas, are capable of grasping people’s attention in a memorable way. Many, if not all, recognize the infamous “S” to represent Superman, one of the most admirable superheroes of all time. In a similar way, authors use symbols in their writing to center their readers’ attention on a particular idea. This idea is generally one that the authors deem crucial to the understanding of the work of literature. Such a use of symbols is seen in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. In order to unlock the meaning of this work, readers must interpret two of his most prominent symbols, the scarlet letter and Pearl.

Anything and everything in our world are symbolic. In The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne creates a world in which the symbolic nature of things are meant to give the reader insight into the deeper meaning surrounding the characters. Hester Prynne, Pearl , and Arthur Dimmesdale, struggle with daily life because of their personal choices. For each character Hawthorne demonstrates just how the symbolic nature of life helps and hinders them in making those choices. Symbols come in all shapes and sizes, including people, plants, and even cloth. The symbols in the Scarlet Letter all have an essential meaning.

A symbol is an object or an element that represents a meaning or an idea that is beyond its physical form. Symbolism is vital to a story, like the potatoes are to the meat, so to speak. It provides ancillary to the emotional substance of a novel. While reading through Their Eyes Were Watching God, written by Zora Neale Hurston, there are numerous symbols that come to light, such as the game of checkers and Janie’s hair.

The book The Scarlet Letter has an absurd amount of symbolism in it. It seems like there is symbolism on every page of the book. The author Hawthorne uses everything he can as symbolism and he uses it well. He could use something as simple as a letter to symbolize a much larger concept. A concept so big that a woman based her life on it and had to live with what she did and must raise a child in the world. To understand symbolism and how it's used in The Scarlet Letter, it must be explained.

A symbol is a color, idea, picture etc. that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract. Symbols are very common in literature and are used to illustrate a deeper meaning in a story. Alice Walker, the author of “Everyday Use”, uses symbols to represent different meanings. For example, a tree might be a symbol for a family with the trunk representing the parents and the branches symbolic of the children.

Several symbols that are found within Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, represent a greater idea found outside of the story itself. The uses of symbols throughout the novel portray a truthful version of reality, one that people can relate to and find in their daily lives. He uses symbols found within nature to develop the setting, characters, and mood. The use of light and color play a significant role in depicting the symbolism of the scenery and background of the novel. The forest is a predominant setting that is also symbolic. The forest portrays the character’s psychological state of mind as well as it being a place where one can escape the grim realities of life.

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.

The Scarlet Letter, a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a novel that takes place in the town of Boston, Massachusetts in 1642. Hester Prynne, the main character of the story, commits the sin of adultery. Because of this sin, she is "blessed" with a child named Pearl. Her punishment is to wear a scarlet letter “A" on her chest for the rest of her life, which affects the way the townspeople look and act around her. Also, she must stand on the scaffold in the town for three hours for the whole town to recognize her grave sins. The man who should be standing upon the scaffold along with her and Pearl is the town minister, Dimmesdale. He is presented as a weak character because of his fear of losing his beloved reputation as such a holy

Imagine living a life where every day is scrutiny. Living in a town where the people show no mercy to stigmatize and ostracize those who step even an inch out-of-place. Where the townspeople’s ideology is an infectious, consuming monster that eats away at all rationality and reasoning in the brain. Every day being reminded of sins and mistakes, never hearing the end of it. It’s like running through a dark, hazy tunnel where reality is shifted, and where there is no end, it just keeps going, and going. In “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, this is a common theme amongst the characters of the novel. Hester Prynne, due to her crime of committing adultery, is forced by the town to adorn her chest with the scarlet letter “A” to