This paper will explain what the symbols the A, Pearl, and the Scaffold in the scarlet letter mean.

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter includes many profound and important symbols. This device of symbolism is portrayed well in the novel, especially through the scarlet letter "A". The "A" is the best example because of the changes in the meaning throughout the novel. In the beginning of the novel, the scarlet letter "A" is viewed as a symbol of sin. The middle of the novel is a transition period, where the scarlet letter "A" is viewed differently. In the commencement of the novel, the letter is taken as a label of punishment and sin. Hester Prynne bears the label of the

letter upon her chest. She stands as a label of an outcast in front of society. She is wearing this symbol to burden her with punishment throughout her life. She stands on a plank where her punishment is given, "'Thus she will be a living sermon against sin, until the ignominious letter be engraved upon her tombstone'"(59). Society places its blames upon this woman. It is because of this one letter that Hester's life is changed. The letter's meaning in Puritan society banishes her from her normal life. In the middle of the novel is a transition period where the letter "A" is viewed differently than before. In this section of the novel, Hester's appearance is altered to where she is no longer seen as a person of sin. The letter changes from a symbol of sin to a more vague symbol. Society now sees Hester as a person who is strong yet bears a symbol, which differs he

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Approximate Word count = 585
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)