Symbolism Of The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Scarlet Letter is regarded as the first symbolic novel in American Literature for Nathaniel Hawthorne 's skillful use of symbolism and allegory. The novel is also said to be the greatest accomplishment of American short story and is viewed as the first American psychological novel, which makes Hawthorne win an incomparable position in American Literature. Hawthorne’s “unique gift” for using this kind of skills taps into the roots of man 's moral nature and gives vivid explanation of the implications in his works (Lei). Hawthorne is outstanding for his skillful employment of symbolism and psychological insight. Hawthorne set the stage for all other American Literature writers.

The Scarlet Letter takes place at the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the 17th century, this is where the Puritans settled after leaving the New World because they wanted to “purify” the Church of England. The Puritans were a sect of Protestant Christians influenced by Calvinism, the idealized that salvation is predestined. They believed that religious behavior was a result of salvation, so with the Puritan communities so invested in purity sins were punished harshly and removed. Hawthorne sets the scene of the first chapter with a dark and gloomy effect, the dark nature of the prison established in the “vicinity of Cornhill”, by early settlers. The prison describe as an “ugly edifice” and “black flower of civilized society” with weeds growing in front of the shadowy structure where groups of Puritans dressed in there normal boring clothes have gathered. A rose bush stands beside the weeds, it foreshadows that brightness may be found along the track, or it eases the darkening close.

The symbol “A” in the story “Scarlet Letter” is worn by hester prynne. The symbol “A” is meant to mean shame but throughout the story it becomes a powerful symbol. Hester who wears the Symbol feels shame in the story in the community of the puritans but changes through time. In the novel, “ the scarlet letter,” written by, Nathaniel Hawthorne the symbol of the letter “A” changes from adulteress , Hester changes the meaning around for better good, angel of mercy, and the living persona of Pearl.

First of all, one symbol used in the book is the letter A. The letter A stands for adultery. The letter A was mostly used on Hester for her punishment. She had to wear it for the rest of her life on every piece of clothing that she owned. She committed a sin that was “unforgivable” and for her mistake she has to serve a lifelong punishment of embarrassment and adversity. She has to wear a symbol that has a much deeper meaning.

“Nathaniel Hawthorne is known as the first American Romantic writer who starts a new tradition, namely the Symbolism Romance, in American Literature” (Lei). In the article A brief study on the symbolic meaning of the main character’s name in The Scarlet Letter by Nan Lei, the readers get an in depth knowledge of what the names of the characters truly mean. Symbolism is a noteworthy feature of The Scarlet Letter, it extends throughout the whole novel and plays a major role in it. The symbolism does not only revolve around the infamous scarlet letter, but also the main characters images and names. Lei’s scholarly review shows that the symbolism in the names of the characters Roger Chillingworth, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Hester Prynne play a vital role in their persona.

Nathaniel Hawthorne isn't noted for perfecting any famous literary style, for writing multiple best sellers, or even for contributing largely to classic American literature.  His only real claim to fame is The Scarlet Letter: a novel that was originally only meant to be yet another Hawthorne short story.  Because of this, it actually possesses many short story characteristics.  "It is simpler and more complete than his other novels." (James 285)  It also has an excellent plot backed by an expert use of literary techniques.  One technique Hawthorne used was borrowed solely from drama: the use of the aside.  Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale delivers an aside in the midst of the action in chapter three,

Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter In the book The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism, which is the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities, to make objects, people, and actions more significant. The use of these symbols creates greater meaning and significance of different actions, objects, and people There are so many symbols in this book, but here are some of the most important symbols. Hester Prynne's scarlet letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is littered with symbolism, the most apt example being the scarlet letter itself, which dons several different meanings throughout the novel. The letter is first recognized as a symbol of Hester Prynne’s act of adultery, yet further along in the story, it becomes better known as a symbol for the woman’s strength, skill, and ability. At any point in the novel, the scarlet letter can be identified as a symbol of the love affair between Hester and Dimmesdale. Along with these three instances of the scarlet letter’s symbolism, there are countless more within the text, making it an extremely worthy point of analysis within the book.

The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is one of the long-lived examples of symbolism in the sensational world of literature. The novel portrays many symbolic features that actually make the novel its own unique story, in which the story would be entirely different without such symbols. Therefore, I will explain the different symbols in the novel, which would be the scarlet letter, Pearl, and the meteor, and how they effect the novel. The most meaningful form of symbolism in the novel would be the scarlet letter “A”, which is placed upon the bosom of the main character, Hester. The scarlet letter is meant to be a symbol for the sin and adultery Hester committed, although it later becomes a part of Hester and her identity.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is overflowing with symbolism. Many important components of the text are symbolic of something else. From Pearl’s name to her overall presence in the book, and everything in between. Hawthorne uses rhetorical devices, more specifically symbolism, to add depth to his writing. The scaffold, the letter “A”, and the colors of the “A” are symbols of death, reality, failure, hope, and most of all shame.

In The Scarlet letter the author Nathaniel Hawthorne illustrates the use of symbolism in the book, especially the scarlet letter “A.” Symbolism is defined as a figure of speech used for an object, or a word to represent something else in literature. The Scarlet letter “A” had a change of meaning throughout the novel. In the inception of the book it is known as a symbol of Adultery. As the book continues the scarlet letter is looked at differently on the main character Hester Prynne’s chest from Adultery to Able.

Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many forms of symbolism in his book The Scarlet Letter. Symbolism is, according to Merriam-Webster, “the art or practice of using symbols, especially by investing things with a symbolic meaning or by expressing the invisible or intangible by means of visual or sensuous representations.” This means that the author was using objects to represent an action or idea. The symbols used in his book is either all physical or visible objects. Many of the symbols in the book are about characters.Nathaniel’s ideas came from his bonds with the Puritans. According to CliffsNotes, “the Puritans had great difficulty in loving the sinner and hating the sin”. With the Puritans strong hatred for sin,

Symbolism has many different meanings, and the Scarlet ‘A’ in “The Scarlet Letter” has many different meanings as well. Hester Prynne is the main character who is forced to wear the scarlet letter as remembrance for the crime and the sin that she has committed. This letter completely ruined her reputation in her community. How could a small piece of fabric do so much harm? This letter was a representation of something much greater than the letter ‘A’. This letter was originally made to stand for adulteress, as physical reminder of her sins. The vibrant scarlet red is meant to shame Hester, to make her feel sorry for her mistakes. Most importantly it was a symbol for change and an emblem of identity. In short, the scarlet letter meant much more than a letter of shame, it was simply a piece of fabric with meaning that could easily change.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, symbolsim is constantly present in the actual scarlet letter “A” as it is viewed as a symbol of sin and the gradally changes its meanign, guilt is also a mejore symbol, and Pearl’s role in this novel is symbolic as well. The Scarlet Letter includes many profound and crucial symbols. these devices of symbolism are best portayed in the novel, most noticably through the letter “A” best exemplifies the changes in the symbolic meaning throughout the novel.

In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author presents three symbols that all reinforce the main idea of the novel. The main idea that reoccurred throughout the novel is that people don’t have to let their mistakes or circumstances determine who they are or what they become; it’s all in how one interprets life. Many symbols may seem as just an ordinary character or coincidental object to some readers, but the symbols have a deeper, underlying meaning. Although there are many symbols in this book, there are three that really help support the main idea: Hester Prynne’s scarlet letter, the meteor, and Hester’s daughter Pearl.