The Scarlet letter is the work of Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter is emotionally so complex that the symbolism in the story can be hard to figure out. The Scarlet Letter is based on sin, guilt, and evil. Hester has decided to deal with her infidelities in silence and independently. On the other hand Mr. Dimmesdale cannot work up enough courage to confess his part in Hester’s ongoing sin. The symbolism in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is significant to understanding the scarlet “A”, Pear, and the meteor.
The Scarlet letter is the most significant symbol of the entire story. The work of Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter is emotionally so complex that the symbolism in the story can be hard to figure out (Whipple). The setting of The Scarlett letter is in puritan time which Mr. Hawthorne has made the book more realistic by putting puritan rules and ways thorough out the story(Lanzen Harris). The scarlet letter is a scarlet and gold badge that is carefully embroidered by Hester Prynne to be worn upon her breast to show that she is adultery (Hawthorne 155). The letter is a symbol of the passionate love scandal Hester has had with Mr. Dimmesdale who is the young pastor of the church.
Hester came into Salem a married woman, but her husband did not arrive with her (Hawthorne178). She told the towns people she was awaiting his arrival. Then after Hester Prynne was with child, the town’s people knew that Hester had had relations with a man who was not her husband but they did not know who. Hester's Scarlett letter then stood for her act of adultery. By making the Scarlett letter visible for the rest of the town to see, it is meant to shame Hester and remind her of her sin.
The meaning to the symbol “A” began to change as Hester did comm...
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...07): 31-55. Rpt. in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Dana Ferguson. Vol. 163. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
Taylor, Olivia Gatti. "Cultural confessions: penance and penitence in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and The Marble Faun." Renascence: Essays on Values in Literature 58.2 (2005): 135+. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
Weinauer, Ellen. "Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter." American Writers Classics. Ed. Jay Parini. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 257-279. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
Whipple, E. P. "Review of 'The Scarlet Letter, a Romance." Graham's Magazine 36.5 (May 1850): 345-346. Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Laurie Lanzen Harris. Vol. 10. Detroit: Gale Research, 1985. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
During this puritan time in the 1600s. Nathaniel Hawthorne who is an anti-transcendentalist speaks about sin. But not just any sin, secret sin in this novel “The Scarlet Letter.” Hawthorne expresses many themes and symbols in many strange and mysterious ways. Hawthorne is a very dark and devious man. The scarlet letter A that is embroidered on Hester’s bosom symbolizes adultery. Adultery is the sin that she has committed. Hester had a whole husband and made a baby with a man that wasn’t the husband. In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the symbolism of Hester’s Cabin, Leeches, and Dimmesdale to contribute to the overall theme of Good Vs. Evil.
Hester’s sin is that her passions and love were of more importance to her than the Puritan moral code. This is shown when she says to Dimmesdale, "What we did had a consecration of its own. We felt it so! We said so to each other!" Hester fully acknowledged her guilt and displayed it with pride to the world. This was obvious by the way she displayed the scarlet letter. It was elaborately designed as if to show Hester was proud.
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.
Griswold, Rufus Wilmot. "The Scarlet Letter." The Library of Literary Criticism of English and American Authors. Ed. Charles Wells Moulton. Gloucester, Massachusetts: Peter Smith Publishing, 1959. 341-371.
Senick, Gerard J., and Hedblad, Alan. Children’s Literature Review: Excerpts from Reviews, and Commentary on Books for Children and Young People (Volumes 14, 34, 35). Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research, 1995..
... Rpt. in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Tom Burns.
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.
In the beginning of The Scarlet Letter, the letter is understood as a label of punishment and sin being publicized. Hester Prynne bears the label of “A” signifining adulterer upon her chest. Because of this scorching red color label she becomes the outcast of her society. She wears this symbol of punishment and it become a burden throughout her life. The letter “produces only a reflection of her scarlet letter; likewise, the townspeople's image of Hester revolves around her sin. The evil associated with Hester's actions and the letter on her chest consume all aspects of her life, concealing her true beauty, mind, and soul” (R. Warfel 421-425). Society pushed blame upon Hester Prynne, and these events lead to the change of her life. The Puritans whom Prynne is surround by view the letter as a symbol from the devil, controversially some individuals look upon the letter, sigh and fell sympathy towards her because they have or are involved in this same situation. Nonetheless the haunting torture Hester Prynne battles daily drags on, Nathaniel Hawthorne shows this torture “of an impulse and passionate nature. She had fortified herself to encounter the stings and venomous stabs of public contumely wreaking itself in every variety of insult but...
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. American Literature. Vol. 1. New York: Penguin Academics, 2004. 592-778. Print.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "The Scarlet Letter." Nathaniel Hawthorne's Tales. Ed. James McIntosh. New York: Norton, 1987.
The Scarlet letter is a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The plot focuses on sin in the Puritan society. Hester Prynne, the protagonist, has an affair with Reverend Dimmesdale, which means they are adulterers and sinners. As a result, Pearl is born and Hester is forced to where the scarlet letter. Pearl is a unique character. She is Hester’s human form of her scarlet letter, which constantly reminds her of her sin, yet at the same time, Pearl is a blessing to have since she represents the passion that Hester once had.
Gerber, John C. "Form and Content in The Scarlet Letter." The Scarlet Letter: A Norton Critical Edition. Eds. Seymour Gross, Sculley Bradley, Richmond Croom Beatty, and E. Hudson Long. New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1988.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Scarlet Letter”. American Literature: Volume One. Ed. William E. Cain. New York: Pearson, 2004. 809-813. Print
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, there are many moral and social themes develped throughout the novel. Each theme is very important to the overall effect of the novel. In essence, The Scarlet Letter is a story of sin, punishment and the importance of truth. One theme which plays a big role in The Scarlet Letter is that of sin and its effects. Throughout the novel there were many sins committed by various characters. The effects of these sins are different in each character and every character was punished in a unique way. Two characters were perfect examples of this theme in the novel. Hester Prynne and The Reverend Dimmesdale best demonstrated the theme of the effects of sin.
The Scarlet Letter is a blend of realism, symbolism, and allegory. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses historical settings for this fictional novel and even gives historical background information for the inspiration of the story of Hester Prynne in the introduction of The Scarlet Letter, ‘The Custom-House’. The psychological exploration of the characters and the author’s use of realistic dialogue only add to the realism of the novel. The most obvious symbol of the novel is the actual scarlet letter ‘A’ that Hester wears on her chest every day, but Hawthorne also uses Hester’s daughter Pearl and their surroundings as symbols as well. Allegory is present as well in The Scarlet Letter and is created through the character types of several characters in the novel.