Symbolism is traditionally a sign or token of something. In the matter
of literature, the definition of the literary device, symbolism, is
more complicated. Symbols of literature are usually metaphysical. The
main symbol of The Scarlet Letter is the red "A" that Hester Prynne was
sentenced to wear on her chest. Nathaniel Hawthorne's intention was to
make the meaning of the crimson token worn on the bosom of Hester
Prynne is highly ambiguous. In this he was successful. Although the
"A" means "adulteress" to the people of Boston, to reader the "A" may
have other meanings such as "American" or "able". To the townspeople,
author, and reader clearly the original intention of the "A" was to
stand for "adulteress". When Hester Prynne became pregnant during the
absence of her husband she was accused and convicted of adultery. Her
sentence was to wear a scarlet letter "A" on her bosom to let everyone
know that she was an adulteress, forevermore. Because of her unique
sentence everyone knew that she was, in fact, an adulteress and people
treated her that way. Society condemned her for her sin, without
knowing anything else. Hester was forced to live alone on the
outskirts of the city. She was a seamstress, but got very little
business. When she used her skills to decorate the "A", things only
got worse. People felt that she was trying to show off the fact that
she was an adulteress, or that she was proud to be. Hester's daughter,
Pearl, was constantly ridiculed by other children for being an "evil",
"devil" child. Clearly it was the first intention of the symbol to
reve! al that Hester Prynne was an adulteress. Although the first
intention of the "A" was to mark Hester Prynne as an adulteress, it
also has other, more abstract meanings. The letter has a relation to
the word, "American". Hester Prynne's "A" reflects an "American"
meaning in various ways. For one, America is a melting pot of m...