Hawthorne’s Use of Symbolism Symbolism is using a character or object to represent an idea. Hawthorne displayed much of it in his novel, The Scarlet Letter. He displays it in his characters and objects in the novel. He even symbolizes the book by calling it, “A tale of human frailty and sorrow.” Other displays of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter, are like, the rosebush, the scaffold, and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Symbolism can sometimes be hard to understand, or difficult to figure out what a character or object is symbolizing. First, Hawthorne displays much through his characters and objects in his novel, The Scarlet Letter. How he displays it is he introduces a characer, action or object in the story. Then he will give much information …show more content…
Hawthorne symbolizes the scaffold as being a symbol of “sin and public shame”. In The Scarlet Letter (Hawthorne Pg #65), Hawthorne calls the scaffold, “A miserable eminence.” Clearly stating that the scaffold does not symbolize a good thing, but a negative idea, and if someone is on it, they are going to feel that miserable type of shame feeling. The scaffold is suppose to make someone feel guilt as they stands on it and let everyone look at them judge them. Like, in The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne has to stand on the scaffold and let everyone look at her a judge her with the big red “A” on her chest. Hawthorne made it easy to symbolize the scaffold by leaving well explained context clues. Now for another example from The Scarlet Letter, the rosebush. Hawthorne symbolizes the rosebush as “a sweet moral blossom.” In The Scarlet Letter(Hawthorne Pg #55), it states, “we could hardly do otherwise but pluck one of its flowers and present it to the reader. Let it hope to represent a sweet moral blossom that may reveal the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow.” Thus meaning that it could serve as a lesson to be learned by the reader. Symbolism not only can be difficult to understand, but difficult to portray. The rosebush could be both, but Hawthorne does a good job portraying the
In The Scarlet Letter, author Nathaniel Hawthorne efficiently conveys his purpose to the audience through the use of numerous rhetorical devices in his novel. Two such rhetorical strategies Hawthorne establishes to convey his purpose of informing the audience of valuable life lessons in The Scarlet Letter are characterization and the theme of duality.
Symbolism plays a very important part in Scarlet Letter because it helps to identify characters and the main ideas of the story. It can help a reader to visualize and understand the meaning of the story better when there are symbols to help explain the meaning of something. Hawthorne uses Hester Prynne, Pearl, and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale as symbols all throughout the book. They are the main characters of the story and they all overcome some difficulties in the end. They all have important roles in the book.
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 the early pages of the first chapter of The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne is already using personification involving nature. “But on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rose-bush…which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and be kind to him” (Hawthorne 41). This personification of the rosebush serves as a
In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes imagery to convey that Dimmesdale can represent Puritan Society rather than the round character that can be seen on the surface level. This is seen through the imagery and symbolism of hypocrisy, Dimmesdale as a Christ figure, and the scarlet letter.
Pearl from The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne represents the archetypal form of the loner. She is the daughter of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale and represents the scarlet letter with her mom who was banished for committing adultery. Leonce from The Awakening by Kate Chopin represents the archetypal form of the ruler. He is the husband of Edna Pontellier and he views her more like property than an actual human being. Pearl and Leonce represent the archetypal form of the loner and the ruler in the different societies that they both live in, their relationship with other people, and how they change throughout the story.
Hawthorne manages to create many metaphors within his novel The Scarlet Letter. The rose bush outside the prison door, the black man, and the scaffold are three metaphors. Perhaps the most important metaphor would be the scaffold, which plays a great role throughout the entire story. The three scaffold scenes which Hawthorne incorporated into The Scarlet Letter contain a great deal of significance and importance the plot. Each scene brings a different aspect of the main characters, the crowd or more minor characters, and what truth or punishment is being brought forth.
Symbolism plays an important role in the Scarlet Letter. The scarlet "A" is used to represent sin and anguish along with happiness. The "A" has different meanings to people other than what was originally intended. The scaffold is used as a place of repentance and judgment by God. Pearl is another major symbol used as a reminder of the scarlet letter.
Throughout his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne reveals character through the use of imagery and metaphor.
One of the most commonly used and arguably most effective literary devices used in literature is symbolism. A symbol is merely a tangible object with an abstract meaning. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn is a highly symbolic novel, and its author uses each symbol to add a deeper meaning to the story. One of the most important symbols in the novel is Hester’s young daughter, Pearl. The child represents both negative and positive concepts, but one of the most important interpretations is Pearl as a symbol of her parent’s guilt.
“Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used by the author to represent abstract ideas or concepts.” Symbolism in literature is the depth and hidden meaning in any piece of work. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a powerful and evocative novel laced with symbolism. The most obvious is the symbol of the scarlet letter itself, representing Hester’s sin of adultery. Hawthorne’s other symbols are less obvious and are very often obscured in the novel.
... frailty, and guilt, in his novel The Scarlet Letter. He does so to both communicate profound concepts, such as revenge and sin, as well as to develop the various themes of the novel. The scaffold initially imposes humiliation to the criminal, and separates him socially from society. But Dimmesdale’s night on the scaffold changes the symbol’s meaning to cowardice and extreme guilt, since he is unable to bring himself confess. Finally, Dimmesdale confesses, and his strength signifies his ability to overcome his past weakness. Hence, through symbols alone, Hawthorne has developed theme as much through symbolism as plot.
to help the reader visualize what life must have been like for the characters. In
A symbol is an object used to stand for something else. Symbolism has a hidden meaning lying within it; these meanings unite to form a more detailed theme. Symbolism is widely used in The Scarlet Letter to help the reader better understand the deep meanings Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays throughout his novel. He shows that sin, known or unknown to the community, isolates a person from their community and from God. Hawthorne also shows this by symbols in nature around the town, natural symbols in the heavens, and nature in the forest.
Often in novels writers use symbolism as a device to make their themes and ideas come across clearly to the reader. In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many forms of symbolism. People and objects are symbolic of events and thoughts of hawthorn throughout the course of the book. The Scarlet letter itself is a symbol he uses to contradict the puritanical society of the story. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Pearl both as a symbol in the novel, and to work on the consciences of Hester and Dimmesdale.