What Does The Ambush Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter

| -This rose-bush represents Pearl afterwards in Hester’s life. The prison reflects on the image of Hester where Pearl gives joy and comfort to Hester to bear the weight of the sin in her soul.

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.

"On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter 'A'" (51). That one simple letter set into the bodice of a young woman named Hester Prynne, tells a story of heartache, pride, strength and triumph in the book elegantly written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter (1850). Hawthorne's novel provides many types of symbolism. One of such is the symbolism of a red rose bush growing outside the gates of the town prison.

            Nature is often used symbolically in The Scarlet Letter to describe people physically, emotionally, and socially.  Hawthorne uses this technique very effectively.  He gives the reader a good feel for the true psyche of some of the characters during different parts of the story.  An excellent example of how characters are revealed through nature is the description of the lone rose-bush.  It symbolizes Hester and the strength she

    In Nathaniel Hawthorne's work, The Scarlet Letter, nature plays a very symbolic role. Throughout the book, nature is incorporated into the story line. One example of this is with the character of Pearl. Pearl is very different than all the other characters due to her special relationship with Nature. Hawthorne personifies Nature as sympathetic towards sins against the puritan way of life. Hester's sin causes Nature to accept Pearl.

In order to pacify Pearl, Hester decides to put her scarlet letter back on and says, “I must bear this torture yet a little longer” (181). The letter physically and emotionally drains the life out of Hester and yet she still endures this agony to appease her child. Hester constantly puts her daughter over her own feelings and aspires to make her happy and joyful. She reveals how considerate and loving she remains by putting others’ needs above her own. As Pearl throws flowers at Hester’s letter, Hester “[resists] the impulse, and [sits] erect, pale as death…with hurts for which she [can] find no balm in the world” (83). Hester obviously suffers through this pain and torture just so her child will remain content and pleased. She clearly demonstrates her motherly nature by putting Pearl’s wishes above her own. Hester may not verbally announce her feelings to everyone, but her actions show others how kindhearted and compassionate she remains after all this

In Nathaniel Hawethorne’s The Scarlet Letter, five scenes stand above the rest in the entirety of the book. Each of these scenes focusing on one of the main characters, Hester Prynne and her daughter, Pearl, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth, who’s real name has never been revealed. In order of occurrence, the scenes which have been deemed most important include, Hester on the scaffold holding Pearl as an infant, and Roger Chillingworth visiting Hester while she is still in the prison being two examples. Another being what many would consider the climax of story is when Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold with Hester and Pearl in the darkness. The final two being Dimmesdale and Hester’s meeting in the forest, and the day upon which Arthur confesses his sins and passes on. Though these are all strictly opinion, they are key points in the novel.

The rose bush is directly stated by Hawthorne that it might represent a sweet moral blossom. It can also be shown as “To

Danish author Hans Christian Andersen once said, “Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.” A person should be able to find beauty in nature to truly live their life. Nature gives symbols for how life happens. Every spring trees comeback to life and every winter trees “die”. Sunshine gives warmth and life to the plants. By being free to live however they please, plants are given the truth of how life truly is. People have to find nature and believe in the power of nature to explore life. Just as Hans Christian Andersen believes one should find nature, Nathaniel Hawthorne believes nature should be shown in The Scarlet Letter. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, nature uncovers the truth about

She had such a kind nature and willingness to assist others that the fact that those whom she fed often returned the generosity with nothing but insults did not cause her to cease in her endeavors. Then, towards the end of the novel, after returning from Europe to the New England town in which she had sinned and repented numerous years before, Hester began to counsel other unfaithful women. For example, "Hester comforted and counseled them as best she might. She assured them, too, of her firm belief, that, at some brighter period, when the world should have grown ripe for it, in Heaven's own time, a new truth would be revealed, in order to establish the whole relation between man and woman on a surer ground of mutual happiness." This also demonstrates Hester's generosity and helpfulness. Although the New England town harbored such unpleasant memories for her, she was willing to return in order to assist others in need. She was willing to relive her own pain and absorb the pain of others in order to benefit future generations, and she was willing to give back to a society which had given nothing to her.

First, Hester’s daughter Pearl is portrayed as representative of Hester’s sin in the flesh, or the truth of what she’s done walking around for all to see. She rings of the truth while also being Hester’s sole treasure in life. In the early stages of the novel, the moment in which Hester explains to the men at Governor Bellingham’s mansion that she must be allowed to keep Pearl as she says “‘[God] gave her in requital of all things else, which he had taken from me. She is my happiness!–she is my torture, none the less! Pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too! See ye not, she is the scarlet letter, only capable of being loved, and o endowed with a million-fold power of retribution for my sin?’” (p.103), providing a very clear representation of what Pearl is to Hester, and what she represents in her life. She is the truth of the scarlet letter in flesh and blood, and her mother’s torture, reminding her of the sin in which she has partaken. This shows Hester’s feelings of living with the truth: it helps her and teaches her much about life while

To conclude, the strong, positive attitude Hester portrays, differs heavily from the town’s view of Hester,and in the end, her perseverance displays how she overcame the harsh ridiculement of the Boston colony. The overwhelming amount of hate Hester initially faced is all accross the novel. Whenever Hester had an interaction with a person, she was thereafter treated with some hostility. However, she never let it get to her, she always did what was right and kept pushing forward, to eventually earn the love of the people. Strangely, with the birth of Pearl, Hester is also reborn into a new life. With Hester being reborn, she is greeted with a scarlet letter, the connection between them, changes throughout the novel, ultimately ending up as

Sunlight is used to communicate the idea that it is best to acknowledge one’s sins when it touches Hester upon removing the scarlet letter. Pearl states that “‘The sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something

Hester was also a symbol of peace. Towards the end of the book, she ends up turning into an adviser to some of the townspeople. Her kindness towards the town made most of them look at her from a different perspective. She would bring the homeless clothes that she made for them and they would criticize her afterwards. Children would call her names their parents would call her and women would give her the silent treatment or yell at her (Hathorne). That all changed towards the end. Instead of thinking of her letter as “adultery” it was now known as “able”.

Symbolism has many different meanings, and the Scarlet ‘A’ in “The Scarlet Letter” has many different meanings as well. Hester Prynne is the main character who is forced to wear the scarlet letter as remembrance for the crime and the sin that she has committed. This letter completely ruined her reputation in her community. How could a small piece of fabric do so much harm? This letter was a representation of something much greater than the letter ‘A’. This letter was originally made to stand for adulteress, as physical reminder of her sins. The vibrant scarlet red is meant to shame Hester, to make her feel sorry for her mistakes. Most importantly it was a symbol for change and an emblem of identity. In short, the scarlet letter meant much more than a letter of shame, it was simply a piece of fabric with meaning that could easily change.