Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter

A detailed Summary of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter

Often in a literary work, the author strives to use literary devices in order to convey certain points to a reader on a different level. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses several literary devices to give his novel The Scarlet Letter depth. One of these devices is symbolism. Hawthorne utilizes symbolism to convey certain points or themes to the reader by using ordinary objects. Three of the elements he uses as symbols are the settings of the Puritan town and the forest and weather.

The first of the two main settings is the Puritan town which includes the prison and the scaffold. The Puritan law is based on their religion. The town maintains a sense of strict moral values and disciplinary measures in accordance with the Puritan religion. Therefore, the town stands for lawfulness and purity. It serves as a contrast to Hester Prynne's scarlet letter. The prison that the city was built around serves as a symbol as well. It represents guilt and the human tendency to sin, and it also symbolizes penance. Hester is forced to spend time in jail for committing the sin of adultery, and it is the starting point of Hester's trek of shame to the scaffold in the market place. The scaffold itself is another symbol Hawthorne uses. Like the prison, it a

revelation. The sin is being displayed plainly in the light of the sun so that all may be aware of it. The sunshine is also symbolic of happiness. Pearl first tries to catch sunlight at the Governor's Hall where it is bouncing brilliantly off the stucco. She turns to Hester and demands that some be caught for her. Hester replies by telling Pearl that she has to catch her own sunlight because she has none to give her. This illustrates the obvious lack of happiness in Hester's life and her inability to make her child happy. The most profound use of weather as symbolism occurs in the forest. When Hester and Pearl first enter the woods, the sky is overcast and dark save for sporadic gleams of light that shine through the clouds when the wind blows. These beams of light withdraw themselves when they come near Hester and Pearl. Pearl takes notice of this and

reasons that the sunlight is afraid of Hester. This is symbolic of the unwillingness of joy to come to Hester. Later on when the two are separated, the beams flock to Pearl, but whenever Hester comes near they vanish. When Arthur Dimmesdale also appears in the forest, he and Hester converse for a time and then ultimately decide to leave Boston. Overwhelmed with joy at the

darkness. Ironically, even through the forest is also a symbol

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 871
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter

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