The Scarlett Letter (essay on symbolism)

A detailed Summary of The Scarlett Letter (essay on symbolism)

The Scarlet Letter is considered to be the first psychological novel, dealing with the interworkings of the characters' minds rather than with their actions. In this novel, acclaimed as Hawthorne's masterpiece, the author liberally, generously sprinkles the pages with symbolic imagery. One such symbol, perhaps the most obvious one, is the scarlet "A" embroidered upon Hester Prynne's bosom. Henry James, another celebrated American author, criticizes Hawthorne's overuse of symbolism, and it is in fact, a just criticism. While Hawthorne was a great writer, it must be said that he underestimated his readers greatly by repeatedly developing the symbolic "A" to the point of triteness.

The reader first encounters this sinister letter in the second chapter, titled after the setting, "The Market-Place." Hawthorne introduces Hester Prynne, the book's heroine:

The young woman was tall, with a figure of

perfect elegance... but the point which drew

all eyes... was that SCARLETT LETTER, so

fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon

This is reasonable, to introduce the letter and the protagonist to the read

Repeatedly Nathaniel Hawthorne refers to the book's namesake, the scarlet letter. Hawthorne simply refuses to let that piece of symbolism, important as it is, to rest for a bit. The placement of the "A" was in every few pages, tucked into the most unlikely of places, such as the aforementioned scene of Chapter 12. Hawthorne turned what might have been a fundamental work of literature into a fairy-tale that cannot, should not be taken for an example of excellent writing. Henry James could not be more accurate in his criticism when he pointed out that Hawthorne overused the symbolic elements. Perhaps none are so trite now to the reader as that scarlet "A."

had the impressiveness belonging to a

er early on in the book before interest is lost. This "A" sets Hester apart from the rest of the womenfolk of the town, not only condemning her in their eyes, but elevating her to a position beyond them. Hawthorne goes on to describe this:

A face which, besides being beautiful from

------------------------------------------------------------------------

... tall, with a figure of perfect elegance

ordinary relations with humanity, and enclosing

The height of Nathaniel Hawthorne's underestimation of his readers occurs in the twelfth chapter, "The Minister's Vigil." Upon leaving the home he shares with Rodger Chillingsworth, Dimmesdale walks up upon the scaffold where Hester Prynne and Pearl had stood seven years prior to that night. He looks up at the night sky after a melodramatic speech about "the judgment day" and

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1039
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels