Symbolism in the Scarlet Lette
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne uses objects, events and people to show meaning within the novel. The symbolism is used to serve as a representation of the mistakes that Hester Prynne made in her life and to mark her development through life. Hawthorne's abundant use of symbolism is used to enhance the novel and leave the ending up to the reader's imagination. The scaffold, the forest and sunlight, the letter "A," and Hester's daughter Pearl all take on larger meanings as the book progresses. Many of the important symbols in The Scarlet Letter are associated with the setting. For instance, the main characters Hester Prynne, Pearl, Roger Chillingsworth, and Reverend Dimmesdale come together on the scaffold three times. The embarrassment that occurs all three times is supposed to punish Hester and make her repent of her sins, but it does not. The scaffold also represents ope
Pearl is proof to Hester that the consequence of her sin will always be with her no matter what she does to try to get away from it. After many years, Hester overcomes her shame of sin and grows to be quite loved among the townspeople but can never fully escape her sin. Both Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale confessed their sins to the public on the scaffold. Due to the large amount of symbolism, the interpretation of the novel is left up to the reader's imagination. The dark forest is symbolic of the world of darkness or evil. At the beginning of the novel, the letter "A," which Hester wears upon her dress, indicates her adultery against her husband Roger Chillingworth. The forest and sunlight represent good and evil or light verses darkness. To Dimmesdale, the scaffold represents the only place he can go to escape Chillingsworth. The vanishing of the light represents the society's constant denial of Hester's acceptance because of her sin. The sunlight represents purity, which is a quality Hester struggles to reach daily. When Hester and Pearl were walking through the woods the sunlight appeared to run away from Hester. Pearl's personality and the things she does go against Puritan's beliefs the same way Hester's sin did. Hester's daughter, Pearl, represents a living form of the Scarlet Letter "A.
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