Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter Essay - 1252 Words

Symbolism can be defined as a figure, character, or object that is used to represent complex or abstract ideas. By expressing an idea in the form of an image, the reader can visualize the concept more concretely. The old expression, â€Å"a picture is worth a thousand words,† applies to symbolism as the author creates a visual representation of ideas. The use of symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter helps to illuminate the overall meaning of the work. At the beginning of the book, the reader is introduced to a dark and gloomy town that had first built a prison and a cemetery. Amidst the depressing landscape, is a beautiful rosebush. â€Å"But on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rose-hush,†¦show more content†¦Since Hester and Dimmesdale committed adultery, they are trapped in their life of isolation and misery. Just as Hester did during her imprisonment, she and Dimmesdale are like the prisoners staring out at the rosebush, dreaming of salvation and freedom. Later in the book, Pearl states that she was plucked from the rosebush and was born. Because of this, Pearl is the key to salvation for Hester and Dimmesdale, just as the rosebush is the key to salvation for the hopeful prisoners. The scarlet letter â€Å"A† was placed upon Hester Prynne’s bosom to openly and literally symbolize the adultery she committed. This letter was intended to make her ashamed of the sexual sin she had done when she bore an illegitimate child. The scarlet letter was a physical reminder for Hester and for her community of her sinful actions and how different she was compared to her Puritan society. Hawthorne stated that the scarlet letter placed on Hester’s bosom was made of â€Å"fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread,† done with enormous artistry, showing â€Å"fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy† on the part of its creator† (Hawthorne 53). â€Å"It sets Hester completely apart from the rest of the community, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and inclosing her in a sphere by herself† (Baym 15) Consequently, the letter became not a symbol of shame but a symbolShow MoreRelatedSymbolism In The Scarlet Letter1247 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism in The Scarlet Letter Symbolism is simply defined as the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. Symbolism is a common occurrence in literary works and many books use symbolism to express mystical ideas, emotions, and states of mind. As in most literary works, symbolism also appears in The Scarlet Letter. There is lots of symbolism used in The Scarlet Letter to convey multiple things and to express many ideas. Symbolism can be found everywhere in The Scarlet Letter and many ofRead MoreSymbolism Of The Scarlet Letter753 Words   |  4 PagesThe Scarlet Letter: Symbolism of the Scarlet ‘A’ Symbolism has many different meanings, and the Scarlet ‘A’ in â€Å"The Scarlet Letter† has many different meanings as well. Hester Prynne is the main character who is forced to wear the scarlet letter as remembrance for the crime and the sin that she has committed. This letter completely ruined her reputation in her community. How could a small piece of fabric do so much harm? This letter was a representation of something much greater than the letter ‘A’Read MoreScarlet Letter And Symbolism1045 Words   |  5 PagesThe Scarlet Letter and Symbolism Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many forms of symbolism in his book The Scarlet Letter. Symbolism is, according to Merriam-Webster, â€Å"the art or practice of using symbols, especially by investing things with a symbolic meaning or by expressing the invisible or intangible by means of visual or sensuous representations.† This means that the author was using objects to represent an action or idea. The symbols used in his book is either all physical or visible objects. ManyRead MoreSymbolism In The Scarlet Letter1401 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism in The Scarlet Letter Symbolism is a literary style that uses symbols to represent ideas or qualities. Symbolism plays a very important part in The Scarlet Letter because it uses the characters to develop the main idea of the story. The symbols used by Nathaniel Hawthorne help the reader to visualize and understand the meaning of the story. Hawthorne uses Hester Prynne, Pearl, and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale as symbols throughout the book. They are the main characters of the story andRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter Symbolism725 Words   |  3 PagesSymbolism of the â€Å"A† In the novel, â€Å" the scarlet letter†, Hester was being criticized by other women in her town. The people in Hester’s town believed that she had an affair with another man while she was in a relationship with her spouse and she was accused for being unfaithful and committed adultery with that man. Hester Prynne was forced to wear a scarlet letter â€Å"A† on her chest to show that she was unfaithful and that she committed adultery. The scarlet letter is a symbol of the sin she hadRead MoreSymbolism In The Scarlet Letter1101 Words   |  5 Pages Scarlet Letter Symbolism Essay Nathaniel Hawthorne was a writer in the 1800s, an anti-transcendentalist, and the great-nephew of John Hathorne, a judge in the Salem Witch Trials. Hawthorne is obsessed with Puritanism and, due to being obsessed, bases all his writings on Puritan towns. All of his stories take place in New England in the 1600s, before the Salem Witch Trials; The Scarlet Letter is one of these stories. In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the symbolism of theRead MoreSymbolism in the Scarlet Letter3886 Words   |  16 PagesSymbolism of The Scarlet Letter A symbol is a literary device which is employed to portray another object or individual. In the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, it is most often a tangible object he uses to represent an undefined idea, complex in scope and significance. More times than not, it represents reverent, profound, or virtuous concepts of merit. From the substitution of one idea or object for another, to creations as massive, complex, and perp lexing as the veil in the Ministers BlackRead MoreSymbolism In The Scarlet Letter. Symbolism Is The Use Of1085 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism in The Scarlet Letter Symbolism is the use of an object, character, or event to represent something else. Nathaniel Hawthorne, without a doubt, uses symbolism throughout the course of the novel, The Scarlet Letter. The novel takes place in a Puritan community in present-day Boston. Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth, and Pearl are the main characters. They all have major roles and without them, the novel would not be the same. Hester Prynne; married to Roger ChillingworthRead MoreSymbolism in The Scarlet Letter1079 Words   |  5 PagesFrom fairy tales to mythologies, fables to romance to even the simplest short stories of a third grader’s book, almost all of them often comprise a scheme of Heroes vs. Villains, and Good vs. Evil. Similarly, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne also contains many of the same situations and characters with their own symbolic meanings that allow them to express strong and demanding feelings through the symbols that they carry. Hester Prynne, w hom appears as a sinful woman, a shame to the societyRead MoreSymbolism Of Forest And The Scarlet Letter1051 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism of Forest’s Aspects in Relation to the scarlet l`etter A In the Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne discusses the hurdles Hester Prynne, the protagonist, goes through due to her sinful nature with her child, the mocking Puritans, and the past always creeping up on her. Often these obstacles appear when she is in the forest, making it a very critical locality in the book. Nathaniel Hawthorne brilliantly uses symbolism to convey how the three main aspects of the forest—the stream, the logs