Strength In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
Some Type of Scarlet Strength The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is as a whole, a story about the strength in kindness and forgiveness. Two symbols were referenced quite frequently throughout the novel; one of them is the wild rose bush outside the prison building and the other is the scarlet “A” that Hester wears upon her chest. Firstly, to touch upon the symbolism of the wild rose bush, Hawthorne describes the rose bush as having been kept alive throughout history and as a symbol of relief from the darkness of human frailty and sorrow. Meanwhile, Hester’s scarlet letter contrasts greatly in meaning from the wild rose as the scarlet letter symbolizes sorrow and shame.
It was not just this symbolism that Hawthorne used to present his argument, as he also utilized tone as well as word choice.
This leads into the evolution of the scarlet’s letter meaning as the character that had the most amount of character development in the novel was actually not a real person and that is the scarlet letter itself. The main quote that best supports this is as follows: “Never after did it quit her bosom. But, in the lapse of the toilsome, thoughtful, and self-devoted years that made up Hester’s life, the scarlet letter ceased to be a stigma which attracted the world’s scorn and bitterness, and became a type of something to be sorrowed over, and looked upon in awe, yet with
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The “A” that labeled Hester as an adulterer became recognized as meaning “able”. However, most items are not able to change their meanings by themselves. It is by interaction with other objects and people that they are altered. Without Hester’s strength and perseverance, if she had been weak willed and easily bullied, then the scarlet letter would have remained a negative symbol instead of the reverent one that it eventually
The Consequences Of Hester And Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
492 Words | 2 PagesHowever, after many years of performing good deeds for the community the scarlet letter, and by extension Hester, was met with less hostility. Her influence is so great that many citizens start to believe the scarlet letter “...[now] meant Able…”(Hawthorne
Hester Prynne's Ignominy
264 Words | 2 PagesIn Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is an extreme outcast in her society following her public ignominy and being sinfully branded as the adulterer. Succeeding Hester’s removal of the “A” from her chest, she initially believes that “the burden of shame and anguish departed from her spirit” (182). Hester feels as though the removal of the “A” has removed the stigma pertaining to the “A”, as well as the constraints and disregard society has cast upon her. But whether or not Hester contains a physical marker of her ignominy, she will be abandoned within society. After seven years of being accustomed to Hester’s sin, townspeople still believe Hester was “dead, in respect to any claim of sympathy” (203).
Journal Entries For The Scarlet Letter
1495 Words | 6 PagesThe reception for her return is all but positive and that the meaning of the letter had changed drastically as “the scarlet letter was the object of love and interest with some inhabitants of another land (203). ” Hester’s work becoming so popular that the letter was used on seals and clothing for the wealthy. It is because of Hester’s behavior during her days with the scarlet letter, her refusal to backdown despite all of the backlash, her will to continue to try and do good even if everyone viewed her as an adulterer that caused the letter to be “looked upon with awe, yet with reverence too (203).” One must not forget that did not mean that adultery sudden became a forgivable offense but the letter itself no longer signified that, Hester owned up to the act and instead, along with Arthur, used this letter as a message to others: that she was never just an adulterer, that she was more than just the symbol on her chest.
Figurative Language In The Scarlet Letter
659 Words | 3 PagesThe novel “The Scarlet Letter”, written by Natheniel Hawthorne is overflowing with figurative language, symbolism, and many other thematic subjects that have important roles within the story. Hester Prynne is the unfortunate bearer of the scarlet letter which is a symbol of her adulterous ways. Throughout the novel she is condemned yet admired for this small golden laced letter on her chest. This letter might seem insignificant but it turned her life upside down.
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
Hester Prynne Symbolism In Scarlet Letter
665 Words | 3 PagesThe book The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne has symbolism all throughout it. People and objects are symbolic of events and thoughts. Throughout the book, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Hester, Pearl, and Arthur Dimmesdale to signify philosophies that are evident during this time period. Hester Prynne, through the eyes of the Puritans, is an extreme sinner; she has gone against their ways, committing adultery. For this sin, she must wear a symbol of shame for the rest of her life.
Yamin Wang In Scarlet Letter
1142 Words | 5 PagesWhen Hester finally takes off the scarlet letter “A” and her cape in the wilderness, it not only represents the beauty she held despite the emotional punishment she underwent, but it also represents her removing the Puritan and patriarch society holding her back. Hester’s feminist conscious is intricately portrayed throughout the
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
Differences And Similarities Between The Crucible And Jackie Jackson
1340 Words | 6 PagesThe change led to the society change in their view of Hester. She had “so much power to do, and power to sympathie,--that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by it original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength” (Hawthorne 146). The ‘A’ on her chest morphs its meaning to represent being able. Robinson, held his tongue for two years, but he could not, like Hester keep quiet any longer.
Hester Prynne Punishment In Scarlet Letter
791 Words | 4 PagesAlthough the community originally knew Hester as a disgrace, the town’s opinion of her changed over time as she began to do work for the poor and needy. After this shift in the town’s view of Hester, “many people refused to interpret the scarlet [letter] by its original signification” (111). Instead of Hester’s scarlet letter serving as a reminder of her scandalous sin, her peers “ had begun to look upon the scarlet letter as a token . . . of [Hester’s] many good deeds” (111). She became known for her charity and generosity, which caused the civilians to overlook her sinful behavior.
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 PagesEven though the Puritans may have designated the letter as a representation of sin, Hester’s renewed sense of pride does not want society to define the A for her. Rather Hester wants to define it herself and by doing so she develops responsibility and power over her own actions. Because Hester has the power to change who she is, she also has the power to change what the Scarlet Letter represents. By letting the letter be “embroidered with gold thread” readers are able to see how for Hester sin is not something to be fearful of; furthermore, it allows one to see how Hester has developed into an independent individual who accepts who she is and the situation she is presented with. Hester’s lover unfortunately
Essay On Literary Devices In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
499 Words | 2 PagesThere are various examples of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter, but one of them wraps the whole story together: the meaning of the scarlet letter A. In this passage, Hester Prynne wears an embroidered letter A on her bosom as punishment. At first the A stood for “adulterer”, but the townspeople later gained respect for her and said “Such helpfulness was found in her-so much power to do and to sympathize-that many people refused to interpret the scarlet “A” by its original significance. They said it meant ‘Able’” (Hawthorne 107).
The Symbolism Of 'A' In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
959 Words | 4 PagesWith Hester changing her ways and helping the poor, the community changed, “They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength” (Hawthorne 168). While the community originally viewed the “A” as a symbol of sin, they began to see it too as a symbol of being “Able” because all that Hester Prynne had overcome. The Scarlet Letter had many examples of symbolism, but none were more significant that the letter “A”
Theme Of Adultery In The Scarlet Letter
813 Words | 4 PagesAdultery, Able, Angel. The Scarlet Letter is about a woman who can take a symbol that means one thing and changes it to mean the complete opposite. In this novel a woman named Hester Prynne had committed a sin of adultery and is forced to wear the letter “A” on her chest in remembrance of her sin. The story takes place in the mid 17th century in a Puritan town of Boston. The rest of the story is based upon trying to find out who the father of Hester 's baby is.
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