Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is considered the first symbolic novel in American Literature. His use of symbolism in the novel presents a complex view of sin and its effects. Utilizing characters, colors, settings, and objects Hawthorne's extended metaphors shape and develop throu...

Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the most prolific symbolists in American literature. In literature a symbol is most often a concrete object used to represent an idea more abstract and broader in scope and meaning. In the Scarlet Letter Hawthorne has many of these symbols but in order to understand his...

Being True To Oneself In The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter, a novel that takes place in a New England colony, depicts a lady named Hester Prynne who is being punished for committing adultery by wearing a scarlet "A" on her chest. Hester and her daughter, Pearl, live with disgrace ...