Symbolism in the Scarlet Lette

A detailed Summary of Symbolism in the Scarlet Lette

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne uses objects, events and people to show meaning within the novel. The symbolism is used to serve as a representation of the mistakes that Hester Prynne made in her life and to mark her development through life. Hawthorne's abundant use of symbolism is used to enhance the novel and leave the ending up to the reader's imagination. The scaffold, the forest and sunlight, the letter "A," and Hester's daughter Pearl all take on larger meanings as the book progresses.

Many of the important symbols in The Scarlet Letter are associated with the setting. For instance, the main characters Hester Prynne, Pearl, Roger Chillingsworth, and Reverend Dimmesdale come together on the scaffold three times. The embarrassment that occurs all three times is supposed to punish Hester and make her repent of her sins, but it does not. The scaffold also represents ope

Hester's daughter, Pearl, represents a living form of the Scarlet Letter "A." Pearl is a high strung, independent, and imaginative little girl. She has a mixture of strong moods and a fierce temper that makes her seem almost mean sometimes. Her unique personality is symbolic of the kind of passion that was associated with Hester's sin. Pearl is proof to Hester that the consequence of her sin will always be with her no matter what she does to try to get away from it. Pearl's personality and the things she does go against Puritan's beliefs the same way Hester's sin did.

n acknowledgement of sin. Both Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale confessed their sins to the public on the scaffold. To Dimmesdale, the scaffold represents the only place he can go to escape Chillingsworth.

The forest and sunlight represent good and evil or light verses darkness. When Hester and Pearl were walking through the woods the sunlight

Some common words found in the essay are:
Hester Pearl, Letter Pearl, Reverend Dimmesdale, Scarlet Letter, Roger Chillingworth, Letter Hawthorne, Hester Prynne, Nathaniel Hawthorne, scarlet letter, forest sunlight, scaffold represents, scarlet letter pearl, reverend dimmesdale, hester's sin, hester prynne, dimmesdale scaffold, scaffold represents acknowledgement, daughter pearl, represents acknowledgement, hester's daughter pearl, letter pearl,

Approximate Word count = 625
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

join now Save Paper

Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

Newest Essays

Testimonials

"Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
Jack M.
"With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
Brian P.
"I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
Sara J.
"I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
Rachel W.
"I love this site!!!"
Marie N.

Symbolism in the Scarlet Lette

Related Essays

Saved Paper

Newest Essays

Testimonials