Symbolism and the Scarlet Letter
Symbolism is traditionally a sign or token of something. In the matterof literature, the definition of the literary device, symbolism, ismore complicated. Symbols of literature are usually metaphysical. Themain symbol of The Scarlet Letter is the red "A" that Hester Prynne wassentenced to wear on her chest. Nathaniel Hawthorne's intention was tomake the meaning of the crimson token worn on the bosom of HesterPrynne is highly ambiguous. In this he was successful. Although the"A" means "adulteress" to the people of Boston, to reader the "A" mayhave other meanings such as "American" or "able". To the townspeople,author, and reader clearly the original intention of the "A" was tostand for "adulteress". When Hester Prynne became pregnant during theabsence of her husband she was accused and convicted of adultery. Hersentence was to wear a scarlet letter "A" on her bosom to let everyoneknow that she was an adulteress, forevermore. Because of her uniquesentence everyone knew that she was, in fact, an adulteress and peopletreated her that way. Society condemned her for her sin, withoutknowing anything else. Hester was forced to live alone on the
When she used her skills to decorate the "A", things onlygot worse. Sheaccepted her sin and accepted herself. She was able to accept herpunishment. His first novel, Fanshawe, was unsuccessful and Hawthorne himself disavowed it as amateurish. The main symbolof Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is the red letter "A" thatHester Prynne wore on her chest. Hawthorne's childhood left him overly shy and bookish, and molded his life as a writer. Hawthorne supported himself through another political post, the consulship in Liverpool, which he was given for writing a campaign biography for Franklin Pierce. as a seamstress, but got very littlebusiness. For one, America is a melting pot of manypeoples and ideas, as was Hester's "A". The symbol of ! the scarlet letter shaped who Hesterbecame. However, after three years Hawthorne was dismissed from his job with the Salem Custom House. She also went on with her work as a seamstress. Hawthorne passed away on May 19, 1864 in Plymouth, New Hampshire after a long period of illness in which he suffered severe bouts of dementia. Hawthorne turned to writing after his graduation from Bowdoin College.
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