Nathaniel Hawthorne"s use of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter is outstanding, and a study of his symbols is necessary to understand the book. There are many types of symbols in the novel such as characters, the scarlet A, and light and color. Hester, Dimmesdale, Pearl and Chillingworth are the most obvious of characters who all undergo a drastic transformation throughout the novel, and along with that comes a great deal of symbolism. The scarlet A being the most obvious of symbols besides the characters is a sign of adultery, penance, and penitence. Light and darkness, sunshine and shadows, noon and midnight are all symbols of the same images, thus meaning that colors like red, gray, and black play a role in the symbolic nature of the novels setting. .

             Over time Hester"s symbolic meaning changes from a women who had a twisted life to a person who was sensitive and had a respect for the humanity of others. People in the town began to see her A with the meaning "Able" and "Angel". Dimmesdale is a symbol of hypocrisy and self-centered intellectualism, in his heart he knows what is right and that he should admit to his sin but he lacks the courage to go through with the public act. Also, shown is a symbol of the good sinner fighting the good fight in his soul and wins after writing his sermon and decides to confess. Pearl is the scarlet letter in the flesh and actually more symbol than reality. To Dimmesdale she is the "freedom of a broken law"; Hester sees her as "the living hieroglyphic" of their sin, and the community sees her as the result of devil"s work. The scarlet A is an immense A in the sky, a green A of eelgrass arranged by Pearl, the A on Hester"s dress decorated by Pearl with prickly burrs, an A on Dimmesdale"s chest seen by some spectators at the Election Day procession, and, finally, represented by the epitaph "On a field, sable, the letter A gules" on the tombstone Hester and Dimmesdale share.