Symbolism in the Scarlet Letter Essay - 871 Words

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. The first and perhaps the most obvious use of symbolism in the novel follows the progression of meaning of the letter A that Hester is forced to wear on her chest. From the beginning the A is a recognized symbol of adultery. There on the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread... lies evidence of her sin†¦show more content†¦Again near the end of the novel Hawthorne continues to further portray Hester as an able- bodied human being rather than the adulteress she is originally seen as by the townspeople. The letter further develops its meaning and creates a new importance even stronger than the significance before. Hester begins to find her true self before the scar of the letter was placed onto her clothing and to her esteem continues to change along with the meaning of the A that adorns her clothing. Hester realizes then that, the angel and apostle of the coming must be a woman, indeed, but lo fty pure and beautiful, and wise moreover, not through dusky grief, but the ethereal medium of joy as she glanced her eyes downward at the scarlet letter. And after many years a new grave was delved after a sunken one... Yet again we see that the letter further changes its meaning and proves to be not a shameful one, but one that allows her to see herself as a positive influence in the community again. Hawthorne also uses the sunshine as a predominant symbol in the novel. He uses it to represent purity and hope numerous times throughout the novel. In one part of the novel Pearl asks her mother to grab sunshine for her and give it to her to play with. Hester replies no, my little Pearl! Thou must gather thine own sunshine. I have none to give thee. Here Hawthorne is suggesting that Hester has no sunshine to give her daughter Pearl because she has committed adultery andShow MoreRelatedSymbolism In The Scarlet Letter1247 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism in The Scarlet Letter 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 ofRead MoreSymbolism Of The Scarlet Letter753 Words   |  4 PagesThe Scarlet Letter: Symbolism of the Scarlet ‘A’ Symbolism has many different meanings, and the Scarlet ‘A’ in â€Å"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’Read MoreScarlet Letter And Symbolism1045 Words   |  5 PagesThe Scarlet Letter and Symbolism Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many forms of symbolism in his book The Scarlet Letter. Symbolism is, according to Merriam-Webster, â€Å"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. ManyRead MoreSymbolism In The Scarlet Letter1401 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism in The Scarlet Letter Symbolism is a literary style that uses symbols to represent ideas or qualities. Symbolism plays a very important part in The Scarlet Letter because it uses the characters to develop the main idea of the story. The symbols used by Nathaniel Hawthorne help the reader to visualize and understand the meaning of the story. Hawthorne uses Hester Prynne, Pearl, and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale as symbols throughout the book. They are the main characters of the story andRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter Symbolism725 Words   |  3 PagesSymbolism of the â€Å"A† In the novel, â€Å" the scarlet letter†, Hester was being criticized by other women in her town. The people in Hester’s town believed that she had an affair with another man while she was in a relationship with her spouse and she was accused for being unfaithful and committed adultery with that man. Hester Prynne was forced to wear a scarlet letter â€Å"A† on her chest to show that she was unfaithful and that she committed adultery. The scarlet letter is a symbol of the sin she hadRead MoreSymbolism In The Scarlet Letter1101 Words   |  5 Pages Scarlet Letter Symbolism Essay Nathaniel Hawthorne was a writer in the 1800s, an anti-transcendentalist, and the great-nephew of John Hathorne, a judge in the Salem Witch Trials. Hawthorne is obsessed with Puritanism and, due to being obsessed, bases all his writings on Puritan towns. All of his stories take place in New England in the 1600s, before the Salem Witch Trials; The Scarlet Letter is one of these stories. In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the symbolism of theRead MoreSymbolism in the Scarlet Letter3886 Words   |  16 PagesSymbolism of The Scarlet Letter A symbol is a literary device which is employed to portray another object or individual. In the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, it is most often a tangible object he uses to represent an undefined idea, complex in scope and significance. More times than not, it represents reverent, profound, or virtuous concepts of merit. From the substitution of one idea or object for another, to creations as massive, complex, and perp lexing as the veil in the Ministers BlackRead MoreSymbolism In The Scarlet Letter. Symbolism Is The Use Of1085 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism in The Scarlet Letter Symbolism is the use of an object, character, or event to represent something else. Nathaniel Hawthorne, without a doubt, uses symbolism throughout the course of the novel, The Scarlet Letter. The novel takes place in a Puritan community in present-day Boston. Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth, and Pearl are the main characters. They all have major roles and without them, the novel would not be the same. Hester Prynne; married to Roger ChillingworthRead MoreSymbolism in The Scarlet Letter1079 Words   |  5 PagesFrom fairy tales to mythologies, fables to romance to even the simplest short stories of a third grader’s book, almost all of them often comprise a scheme of Heroes vs. Villains, and Good vs. Evil. Similarly, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne also contains many of the same situations and characters with their own symbolic meanings that allow them to express strong and demanding feelings through the symbols that they carry. Hester Prynne, w hom appears as a sinful woman, a shame to the societyRead MoreSymbolism Of Forest And The Scarlet Letter1051 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism of Forest’s Aspects in Relation to the scarlet l`etter A In the Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne discusses the hurdles Hester Prynne, the protagonist, goes through due to her sinful nature with her child, the mocking Puritans, and the past always creeping up on her. Often these obstacles appear when she is in the forest, making it a very critical locality in the book. Nathaniel Hawthorne brilliantly uses symbolism to convey how the three main aspects of the forest—the stream, the logs