As a writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne is best known for his use of symbolism. The Scarlet Letter is considered by many to be the world's first truly symbolic novel. A symbol is a person, place, object, or activity that stands for something outside itself, and literary symbols take on their meaning within the context of literature. Of the many symbols in the book the most symbolic ones include the scarlet letter, the meteor, and Hester's daughter, Pearl. (76)
When the scarlet letter is mentioned or seen by others some of the things that come to mind are shame, despair and solitude, yet its meaning shifts as times passes to become a powerful symbol of identity to Hester. The A's original meaning stands for adulterer and functions as a p
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