To finish, the last symbol I will be focusing on Is nature. Nature is a symbol that encompasses the characters in this book but also is a character in the book. Nature first makes its appearance on page 107, “…the ugliest weeds of the garden were their children, whom Pearl smote down, and uprooted most unmercifully.” (Scarlet Letter) In this line Hawthorne writes to introduce the symbol of nature, you see nature being compared to as humans. He is comparing the Puritan children to the ugly weeds of nature that are uprooted and thrown away so then the beautiful roses (Pearl) are more vibrant and noticeable. This Rose would then be, again, another symbolism of Pearl as she is taking all of those weeds out of the ground so she stands out more.
By analyzing Hawthorne’s use of the juxtaposition of Pearl’s mannerisms and the symbolism of the weeds, it is evident that he conveys a disapproval of the rigidity of the Puritans, which establishes his blatant romanticism as an author. Preceding the following passage, Hester Prynne, an adulteress, is given a punishment by the inflexible Puritans of public shame in the form of a red A, which is then represented in the product of that sin, her daughter, Pearl. Hawthorne, after using the symbolism of the rigid, solemn trees and Pearl’s disdain for them, goes on to compare the weeds to Pearl; “...the ugliest weeds of the garden were [the Puritan] children, whom Pearl smote down and uprooted unmercifully” (Hawthorne 98). Pearl exemplifies wildness
The hypocrisy of 1600s Puritan society was often disguised behind a facade of moral righteousness. Puritans claimed to use public shaming as a way to better the morals of society and lead people to repent; however, it was highly hypocritical as the Puritans found pure entertainment in the downfall of others and completely neglected sinners rather than educating them. Puritan society thrived off of gossip and rumors, which goes against many biblical morals. Nathaniel Hawthorne, a 19th century transcendentalist, tells the story of how 1600s colonial Puritan society reacts to a woman who commits the sin of adultery in the 1850 The Scarlet Letter. In an excerpt from Chapter 13, the transcendentalist ideals of Nathaniel Hawthorne are reflected through
Whereas the writer described the prison as “unsightly,” he describes the rose bush as “ covered, in this month of June, with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom, in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and be kind to him.” Immediately what comes to mind is the protagonist vs the antagonist. The rose bush, the noble creature, against all odds, fighting for good, and this society, ugly and evil, fighting against what is right. This difference in diction immediately juxtaposes the society from the “wild” rose bush, and signals the shift in tone, revealing Hawthorne’s attitude towards the two different
This event helps establish Pearl's elfish nature but also her connection with the rose bush and its symbolism. The rose bush represents something beautiful that appears in an ugly setting. In this scene, there is a hint of Pearl’s stubborn personality. There is also her love for nature, which represents both freedom and beauty in the novel. Hawthorne uses plant imagery to develop the themes
However, he also uses these allusions to create a new side to his narrative as evident when he describes Hester’s resilience, and to create a new element in the plot as evident in his description of Dimmesdale’s penance and need for redemption. Therefore, Hawthorne demonstrates an effective use of allusions to craft a religious and detailed narrative for The Scarlet Letter by reviewing on parallels between the Bible and the novel’s main characters. There’s more to The Scarlet Letter than these allusions though, and there are many questions to answer about this book. These questions may never be answered fully, but by reading the novel itself, we might find the right places to start searching for answers and formulate our own opinions on the matter. What’s important from this novel is the realistic warning about what might happens when an individual place themselves too highly among others, a message Hawthorne writes to warn against the fervor of transcendentalism of his time.
The 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.
In “The Prison Door” from The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses imagery and parallelism to convey his tone while introducing the setting of the book. He uses a gloomy and depressed tone in the beginning of the chapter using imagery while describing different places through the town. Later on in the chapter, he moves on to discuss the rose-bush. This is looked at as a joyful symbol to the sad citizens. This is the parallelism he uses to shift the tone to be brighter and
In the book, The Scarlet Letter, the author Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism to bolster the characters and to help the readers get a better understanding of them. Symbolism is used by writers to better relate to objects. Some examples of symbolism would be in chapter 7. These would have to include: Pearl/the scarlet letter, the sunlight on Governor Bellingham’s mansion, and the reflection within the suit of armor. These three examples are the most paramount to help to reveal the characters and to distribute Hawthorne’s message.
Hawthorne’s writing style provides readers with a more vivid and colorful reading experience that hopefully pushes them to be more engaged in what they are reading. In having to decode the majority of the novel, it leaves a mysterious and open effect on the entire book. With all this in mind, it is important to recognize Hawthorne’s subtle use of literal devices like alliteration such as “married, happy, and mindful of her mother” (Hawthorne, 360) in his writing. Slight additions such as this spice up his typically repetitive language and peak interest on readers by keeping them on their toes. In having all the skills to represent the darkness and beauty in life in remarkable ways, Hawthorne uses syntax in The Scarlet Letter to improve and enhance the overall quality of his
Throughout the history of literature, forests or woods were used to symbolise a lost in morals or spirituality. The devil or The Black man was used to symbolise corruption or evil. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses forests and The Black Man to embody the spiritual and moral struggles of Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth in his novel The Scarlet Letter. The first time Roger Chillingworth appears to the readers, is during the first scaffold scene. He was deformed and hunchbacked.
In 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
Nathaniel Hawthorne did not always speak positively toward the Puritans, but he has respect for the group. The main symbol that stands out is the scarlet letter “A” that was stuck on Hester Prynne for her actions of adultery which is a theme for this book. Another symbol is the rose bush that grew right outside of the old, rusty, decaying prison
Symbolism Within The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne created symbolism throughout The Scarlet Letter in order to develop the theme throughout Hester’s life. Hester is portrayed as a sheltered soul, shunned from society due to her adulterous acts. The red A and her daughter, Pearl, are symbols of Hester’s shame which she bares proudly despite society's harsh judgements. Hawthorne is able to use symbolism to develop themes, characters, and analogies in the Scarlet Letter.
Literary 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.
Aylmer’s potion doomed him by take away her breath. Aspiration for perfect wife not only kills Georgiana, it also spoils her husband because his longing to fabricate the ideal woman made him to overlook her true love and the beauty. Eventually, petty imperfection is all he could see when he romance with his wife. Georgian’s admirers are wise enough to understand that perfection is not a goal worth pursuing. Although these characters are invisible throughout the story they appreciate Georgina more than her husband does.