The Scarlet Letter Essays

In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne expresses the true nature of his characters. In his story it’s obvious and clear the portrayal of the children. Children’s are innocent they will say or do anything, unlike adults, they are not forced by societal expectations. They are tolerated and innocent to most manners therefore they are less judged but also less accountable than adults when it comes to questioning things or speaking their mind. Pearl the main Child character in the novel is an excellent example of childish innocence and supernatural perception. In the novel the infant Pearl develops into a dynamic symbol that is always changing. Hawthorne 's symbolism of Pearl varies from birth, age three until seven years old. Pearl is symbolized with a metaphorical scarlet letter "A" representing adultery, instead she represents the immorality of her mother 's sin.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s enduring novel The Scarlet Letter remains a hallmark of American literature due to its clever incorporation of symbols and motifs. The Scarlet Letter’s theoretically mundane soap-opera plot gains a layer of depth and nuance when viewed through an analytical lens, thanks in large part to its revolutionary use of symbolism. Hawthorne ingeniously toys with the nature of symbolism itself — challenging the norms of what a “symbol” actually is. The idea of sin, for example, evolves in its significance alongside the actual characters of the novel. Hawthorne demonstrates the effects of sin on the lives and reputations of Hester, Dimmesdale, Pearl, and Chillingworth. Although many might argue, especially given the Puritan setting of the novel, that public confrontation of sin tarnishes a person’s reputation, Hawthorne’s recurring motif of sin serves to make a broader point about the dangers of repressing sin. The Scarlet Letter suggests that the acknowledgement of sin as an innate aspect of humanity ultimately fosters personal growth.

Nathaniel Hawthorne creates allegory with his characters in his novel and short stories. The way that Hawthorne creates allegory with his characters us by showing their struggles with morals, their need and misinterpretation of love, and the effects of others opinions. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses his characters to symbolize a concrete object which is used to represent something more abstract (Dibble 37.)

Symbols, as we look around we will find that there are many symbolic things that are

Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, also the father of Hester’s child, showed prominent parts of his character throughout the story. The first trait the reader becomes aware of is Dimmesdale’s cowardice. He has no intentions of revealing his sin to the public, due to how highly he is seen in the community’s eyes. Remorse, or guilt, is another term that can be associated with Dimmesdale, growing increasingly more prominent as the novel goes on.

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

In this chapter, a crowd of bearded men and women are standing outside of the door to what is probably the prison. The narrator, who is the man who found the documents in the custom house, discusses the vision of the perfect world the Puritans who settled there and how they ironically built a prison and a cemetery as the first buildings when they arrived in the new world. A beautiful rose bush stands, out of place, by the prison door.

Hester Prynne is first introduced as a tall, dark haired woman with perfect elegance. Described as beautiful and ladylike, Hester appears more graceful than ever. I think Hester seems scared and apprehensive, but also willing to take responsibility for her actions and do anything necessary to protect her baby. The fact that Hester’s scarlet letter is so beautifully designed suggests that she accepts her consequences and this symbol as a part of herself and her new life moving forward. Hawthorne notes that Hester and her babe are similar due to the fact that they are both outcasts from society. In contrast, however, Hester has sinned and Pearl is pure, but now they are both paying the consequences of Hester’s adultery. Overall, the response

The novel, The scarlet letter by Hawthorne is written during the Romantic era and shows a huge impact of Puritanism in the private lives of the character. Unlike any other novel, readers are not introduced to a rake in his process to win both the damsel and her fortune. The main character figure of the novel is a lady who dared to go against the norms of the society and is being punished for it. However towards the end of the novel she changes the meaning of the letter “A” to respect rather than a stigma. Hester Prynne is the protagonist as she stands against the Puritan laws. Hester Prynne commits the crime of adultery and she alone bears the punishment for it, refusing to name the father of the child and at the end earns a place and name or herself in the society.

The syntax in The Scarlet Letter mimics the previously mentioned dark yet romantic and descriptive tone of the novel. Maintaining its seriousness and formality, Hawthorne uses additions such as imagery, personification, metaphor, and symbolism to keep the book’s underlying flowery and romantic storyline. This complex writing style required Hawthorne to utilize very long and illustrative sentence structure. His dedication to detail is seen in his use of comparison to portray both beauty and ugliness. In fact, the only time we see short and choppy sentences is character dialogue and conversation. The effect that Hawthorne is attempting to create is one of dramatic story-telling. Almost over describing every aspect, Hawthorne preserves his fluidity

The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a novel about Hester Prynne, a woman who commits adultery in a Puritan society, and how it affects her life. Hester not only scars her own life, but also Dimmesdale 's, who is one of the town 's ministers. Her husband has been gone for multiple years, so she expects he is dead and can love freely again. Her crime is discovered and she is nearly executed due to its extremity in the Puritan society. Hester is very lucky not to be executed for her crimes, instead, she is forced to go about life with an “A” on her chest, showing her crime so everyone can see. Throughout the book, there is a scaffold that shows shame and circles back to symbolizing purity in the Scarlet Letter.

The Scarlet Letter is an excellent example of how the power of a symbol can be enough for a person to change for better or for worse. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of the main characters, Hester, is punished by wearing a scarlet letter “A” as a symbol for the sin of adultery she committed. This novel documents how a small, red symbol can affect someone and how that person changes as a result of it. Throughout the book, Hester visibly changes as a result of the scarlet letter not only mentally, but also physically. In The Scarlet Letter, the scarlet letter changes Hester not only internally changes Hester’s thoughts and actions, but also physically changes Hester’s appearance into a dark, gloomy character.

“It straggled onward into the mystery of the primeval forest.” ( Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter 86 ) Claiming the forest as a vast location of mysteries; illustrating its endless symbolism among the town’s people, Nathaniel Hawthorne starts off by portraying the forest as a place of temptation towards sin in Young Goodman Brown. As the reader transition from Young Goodman Brown to the The Scarlet Letter the original symbol of the forest is substituted with the thought of happiness. It’s shown to become the only place where Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale can be with each other without the thought of being punished by Puritan laws.

In his essay, “On the Scarlet Letter”, D.H. Lawrence critiques the character of Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter. He believes that Hester, who commits adultery and is condemned by the Puritan community, is portrayed as a sympathetic character instead of an undeserving sinner. Lawrence’s negative depiction of Hester is demonstrated through his use of biblical allusions, uneven syntax, and a disapproving tone.

Sigmund Freud, an intellectual genius, created an entirely new technique that dealt with the understanding of the human personality. This technique, called psychoanalysis, consists of three parts. The id responds directly to his or her instincts, while the superego relies on his or her conscience. Lastly, the ego represents reality, or the balance between the id and superego. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, the three levels of subconsciousness are ideally filled by the main characters, Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth, and Arthur Dimmesdale.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" the story is a profusion of symbols, hidden lies, and sin. The protagonist is Hester Prynne, a beautiful young woman who is oppressed for her infidelity and has to wear a crimson letter 'A'. This letter not only represents she is an adulterer, but is a constant reminder of her diminishing reputation and the loss of acceptance in the puritan community. Hester gets pregnant and as result a beautiful baby named Pearl is born.The illegitimate daughter also has a father. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is perceived as a man of God, but shares the same sin as Hester. Hester does not want to compromise Dimmesdale's reputation and public opinion, so she takes a seal of silence and a pact of confidentiality. The identity of the father was hidden inside the scarlet letter. Hester's motherly instincts made Pearl embrace the scarlet as a place of comfort and familiarity. The scarlet letter symbolizes adultery, and acceptance.

An allegory is a story in which people, things, and happenings have a hidden or symbolic meaning. They are used for teaching or explaining ideas, moral principles, and more. Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes the literary device of allegory in The Scarlet Letter through many different characters, including Roger Chillingworth. Chillingworth’s name is symbolic of his cold heart that has a passionate core that is enveloped in layers of cold. Throughout the story, Chillingworth plans insensitive revenge toward Dimmesdale for committing adultery with Hester. He grows colder throughout the years, and his only reason for living is to get revenge. Roger Chillingworth lives up to his name and his heart grows colder as time continues.

While the book, The Scarlet Letter, was set in the 15th century, it still contained many lessons that can be put to use in today’s society. In the Puritan community, individualism is discouraged and even punished. If one doesn’t live to the high moral standards, they will become outcasts of the community. Hester Prynne committed the sin of adultery and her life suffered greatly because of it. Sadly, in the modern world, adultery is considered the norm and isn’t scrutinized like it used to be. While Hester lived in a completely different world than I did, we still share basic similarities and both believe that we shouldn’t be treated differently because of our flaws and imperfections.

Two of the main characters with many similarities as well as differences is Hester Prynne and Rvd. Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester and Dimmesdale are both characters in the book that had their identities set up in the beginning of the story, within the first 4 chapters. Hester and Dimmesdale are the parents of Pearl, who they had in an act of adultery and sin in the eyes of the townspeople. This book goes through the story of Hester and Dimmesdale's punishments, as well as repentance. Some of the differences between these two characters are also what makes them alike, as well as setting them apart from the rest of the characters in the book. Hester and Dimmesdale’s need to repent and face their punishments in their own ways leads the reader through the book with surprises at every turn. The characters face challenges from holding in a secret, and facing a punishment all relating to the same actions taken before the book begins.

Hester, having lived among a Puritan doctrine for so long, cannot help but be influenced by it, and although she did what she did out of love, she does see her act as a sin. She is self-aware, penitent and rather dutiful to the puritan society and she bears her punishment according to the dogma humbly. For the seven solitary years, it is told that “Hester never battled the public, but submitted; uncomplainingly ...she never raised her head to receive their greeting. If they were resolute to accost her, she laid her finger on the scarlet letter, and pass on” (Hawthorne 92). Yet, she never succumbs to the community’s thoughts about her. She feels guilty for her action, but she is not ashamed of her own person or self. In his book, The Cycle of