Theme Of Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter
A major literary device is symbolism; many established authors use symbolism to reinforce their main theme. In the anti-transcendental novel, The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the symbolism of the scarlet letter changes throughout the novel. The symbol of the scarlet letter A is established to reinforce the main theme of those who accept flawed human nature live a satisfied life. The theme is proven by the transformation of the scarlet letter A. In the beginning of the novel, the A represents the major punishment of adultery to Hester. This is when the A represents her sin and the expected life-long onus. As the story goes on, the letter A begins to change its meaning to show acceptance by Hester and the townspeople. As Hester and the townspeople accept her sin, and therefore the letter, Hester becomes more confident. At the end of the novel, the letter symbolizes Hester’s ability and helpfulness towards the community, which are greatly appreciated by the townspeople. Throughout the novel, the symbol of the scarlet letter A represents that Hester has the ability to accept the true nature of her persona, and this acceptance is what leads her to …show more content…
This acceptance is what results to her living a more rewarding life at the end of the novel. The symbolism of the A transformed from adultery, to acceptance, and finally to something that made her, to an extent, more powerful in the end. She is helpful and has an ability to help people. The theme is evident in the novel, The Scarlet Letter when Hester’s life is fulfilled. One must be able to understand, that without the acceptance of ones’ own flawed human nature, one is unable to live a satisfied life. Whether with one’s understanding of news, school material, or hope, is unlikely to be recovered, one must accept one 's own human nature to live a fulfilled
Hester Prynne Isolation Quotes
1113 Words | 5 PagesIn the beginning of the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne introduces the main character Hester Prynne, a young, beautiful member of a Puritan society being punished for her sin of love, not lust. The opening chapters introduce the reader to gossips who deem her original punishment, death, too harsh and contrary to Puritan beliefs that unborn babies should be given a chance at life. Instead, Hester and her child are to be alienated and shunned. In addition she is to wear the letter ‘A’ (which stands for ‘adultery’) on her chest which will forever display her as a symbol of shame for her sin. Though a very resilient figure who soon overcomes this pain, Hester’s isolation takes a negative toll on her life.
Motifs In Scarlet Letter
980 Words | 4 PagesIn literature, motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that help inform the reader of the text’s major themes. Motifs are an important device used in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. This novel takes place in seventeenth century Boston, then a Puritan settlement. At the time, a young adulteress, Hester Prynne, must wear a scarlet “A” on her breast to mark her ignominy.
Symbols Used By Arthur Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
1582 Words | 7 PagesThe novel The Scarlet Letter uses a type of symbol thats meaning changes as the story unwinds and progresses. In the novel, Hester Prynne is obligated to wear an embroidered letter “A” as a punishment for committing the crime of adultery. The scarlet letters meaning changes from adultery, to able, and eventually to awe, throughout the course of the novel. As the news spread of the crime that Hester committed, the people of town weren’t hesitant to judge Hester for the sin against God and her husband.
Essay About The Mistakes Hester Prynne Ever Made
599 Words | 3 PagesIn the beginning the scarlet letter represented adultery and shame, but then the A represented “able.” Hester Prynne showed people that greatness can come out of huge mistake. One bad chapter does not mean your story is over. Willingly, Hester wanted to pick herself up again and move on with her life and eventually people noticed that. They began to respect her and think of her as strong and commendable
Embracing Vulnerability In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
2062 Words | 9 PagesThroughout all of her life, Hester has been seen as a symbol of the devil by her Christian community, one that loathes sinners and praises the teachings of God. So, Hester must live with this burden and somehow achieve redemption for herself. When Hester finally removes the scarlet letter, “the stigma is gone, [and] Hester heaved a long, deep sigh, in which the burden of shame and anguish departed from her spirit” and “she had not known the weight, until she felt the freedom!” (Hawthorne 122). The moment Hester takes off the scarlet letter serves as a monumental moment in the novel as the letter was Hester’s identity up to this point.
Chapter 16 Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter
509 Words | 3 PagesIn Chapters Fifteen and Sixteen, of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester recognizes her true hatred of Chillingworth just before she finds Pearl, playing at the beach, and creating a green letter A on her own chest out of seaweed. Later, Hester goes to hopefully “run into” Dimmesdale in the forest to reveal to him the truth about Chillingworth’s identity. Pearl comes along, and as they wait, she curiously asks her mother about the Black Man. When Pearl sees Dimmesdale’s figure appear in the distance, she asks whether the approaching person is in fact the Black Man himself, which Hester rejects. Pearl, however, ponders if Dimmesdale clutches his heart, as he does, because the Black Man has left his mark on him, similar to how the
Hester Prynne Symbolism In Scarlet Letter
665 Words | 3 PagesShe is a beautiful, young woman who has sinned, but is forgiven. Hawthorne portrays Hester as "divine maternity" and she can do no wrong. Not only Hester, but also the physical scarlet letter, a sign of shame, is shown as a beautiful, gold and colorful piece which
Punishment In Scarlet Letter
959 Words | 4 Pages“The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her - so much power to do and power to sympathize - that many people refused to interpret the scarlet “A” by its original signification. They said that it meant “Able”” (159). A purpose of the “A” was to make Hester an outcast and therefore she would suffer with no human contact because no one would be willing to interact with her. Although that originally happened, the townspeople eventually learned to accept Hester and they soon went to her for guidance on many different situations.
Analysis Of Hester Prynne In The Scarlet Letter
896 Words | 4 PagesBy wearing the “A,” Hester was publicly humiliated, however, her development in character causes a change in the meaning of the Scarlet Letter, which leads her to taking pride in the letter as it grows a part of her. After Hester’s sin the Puritan community places a false
What Does Nature Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter
224 Words | 1 PagesIn The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses nature symbols including the forest, roses, sunshine, Pearl, and light and darkness to influence the plot and instills his strong romantic ideas to the readers. Through symbolism, the reader must think deeply to find the true meaning of Hawthorne 's words. Hawthorne does not depict wilderness in the same manner as the Puritans, but instead, Hawthorne’s portrayal of nature described in the story is more consistent with the romantic views of the middle of the nineteenth century when Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlett Letter. Hawthorne uses nature as a romantic source for critiquing the Puritan society, its unjust laws, and the hypocrisy of the church. Symbolism shows the greatness of an author’s ability
Gender Stereotypes In The Scarlet Letter
1118 Words | 5 PagesAlthough she is looked down upon by the society in the beginning of the novel, she is transformed into a symbol of strength, something typically reserved for men, towards the end of the novel. “The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her,—so much power to do, and power to sympathize,—that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength” (Hawthorne 146). Through her suffering, Hester had become an inspiring symbol of strength for the community.
What Does The Deep Red Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter
940 Words | 4 PagesHawthorne uses symbolism throughout the Scarlet letter to display the sin and indecency people see Hester as. The detail represents ,the deep beauty Hester has inside although most people do not see her as a beutiful women. The deep red is a representation of adultery which shows her being an oncast from society. The symbol of the letter “A” is repetitive throughout the novel and grows with Hester and overcomes this with time as people start to see her as a person again and not just a adulterer. Hester acknowledges her sin in her puritan faith but swears to secrecy on the father of Pearl.
Essay On Evil In The Scarlet Letter
719 Words | 3 PagesThe townspeople “[began] to look upon the scarlet letter as a token, not of that one sin, for which she had borne so long and dreary a penance, but of her many good deeds since.” This quote exemplifies how sin is not a death sentence for Hester. Through hard work and charity it allowed the rigid Puritan society to see her as something different, and as someone who would not let society define who she was. Hester, thus, was not only able to change herself, but also the image in which society viewed her by working hard to benefit the public. Likewise, the scarlet letter which was supposed to represent sin was instead “fantastically embroidered with gold thread, upon her bosom.”
Essay On Literary Devices In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
499 Words | 2 PagesLiterary Devices in The Scarlet Letter Literary devices are often used to capture a reader’s attention in a text. Nathaniel Hawthorne used many different types of literary devices in his book The Scarlet Letter. He uses symbolism to give hidden meaning to elements in the story, conflict to make the story interesting, and allusion to make references to historical events (ex. biblical references). While reading The Scarlet Letter, the literary devices did not jump out at me, but now as I reflect upon them they help me understand the book well. Literary devices can make a passage have a whole different meaning.
The Symbolism Of 'A' In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
959 Words | 4 PagesReceiving the scarlet letter changed every aspect of Hester’s life. Especially at the start of the story, the letter symbolized the solitude and great suffering Hester faced just because of a letter placed on her bosom. The “A” also depicted how no one viewed Hester the same way as before her peccant actions. “…she saw that, owing to the peculiar effect of this convex mirror, the scarlet letter was represented in exaggerated and gigantic proportions, so as to be greatly the most prominent feature of her appearance” (Hawthorne 109). The pejorative community Hester lived in never saw Hester as the beautiful, young woman she was, but now, as a horrible fiend.
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