Scarlet Letter Symbolism Essay - 982 Words

The Significance of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a gothic satire of the puritan beliefs and value. Nathaniel Hawthorn of a puritan based background wrote various harsh satires such as Young Goodman Brown, and The Scarlet Letter, all based on his ancestral history. Furthermore, in his satires, they all shared a common point in structure and his use of symbolism to develop meaning for his works. With the use of symbolism, Hawthorne is efficiently able to introduce the conflict with the symbolism of the letter A and which ultimately allowed further development of the characters using the scarlet letter and the hand over his heart as a basis. To begin with, the letter A is a symbol in†¦show more content†¦127) and in â€Å"Chillingworth, at that moment of his ecstasy, he would have no need to ask how Satan comports himself† (pg. 128), is a perfect example on how the Letter A as a plot device worked upon Chillingworth, corrupting him into Satan himself. Furthermore, this form of analysis can be seen during the second scaffold scene when a meteorite appeared bearing the Letter A accompanied by a ray of light which shined upon Chillingworth’s face and revealed â€Å"the malevolence with which he looked upon his victim† (pg.145). From here his true nature was revealed to his victim, Dimmesdale that his trusted companion of seven years who took care of him during his chronic illness was nothing but of an adversary who showed a fake and friendly demeanor to him that was only meant to torture him. Furthermore, Symbolism can be linked to the character development of Hester and Dimmesdale in the form of the Scarlet Letter for Hester and the hand over his heart for Dimmesdale, respectively. The Scarlet Letter was a bright scarlet bosom that was to be worn by women who sin for their punishment, be it for a couple years or life in the case of Hester. The bosom also had a deeper meaning to it socially, those who wore itShow MoreRelatedScarlet Letter Symbolism Essay1118 Words   |  5 PagesNature is a theme that often serves as mere fluff in novels, with little to no purpose other than to produce a setting for the reader to imagine. However, this is far from the case in The Scarlet Letter. In the Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne takes advantage of the natural world and uses it to express deeper meanings and ideas. Key pieces such as the rosebush by the prison, the forest, and the use of natural light assist him in emphasizing important details within the story. Hawthorne utilizes the rose bushRead MoreSymbolism in The Scarlet Letter Essay1252 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism can be defined as a figure, character, or object that is used to represent complex or abstract ideas. By expressing an idea in the form of an image, the reader can visualize the concept more concretely. The old expression, â€Å"a picture is worth a thousand words,† applies to symbolism as the author creates a visual representation of ideas. The use of symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter helps to illuminate the overall meaning of the work. At the beginning of the book, theRead MoreScarlet Letter Symbolism Essay1036 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism is a commonly used literary device that uses symbols to represent ideas with greater meanings. It is something that several authors take the opportunity to use when they can. Using symbolism helps to give a story depth as well as meaning by helping to piece parts of the plot together. 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Throughout the book, the villagers view of the scarlet letter changedRead MoreSymbolism Essay : The Scarlet Letter 1087 Words   |  5 PagesPaige Davis Mrs. Walker English III 18 November 2015 Symbolism The Scarlet Letter contains plenty of symbolism in itself. Hawthorne has filled every page with deeper meanings and not always a thorough explanation. Almost everything is a metaphor, even the smallest things that anyone could think of. After the Custom-House intro, Hawthorne leaves his readers in a Puritan society, at a door that’s â€Å"heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes† (1.1). Granted, it s a prison door. ButRead MoreScarlet Letter Symbolism Essay836 Words   |  4 Pages Pearl’s Symbolism Throughout this novel, Author Nathaniel Hawthorne used Pearl as different symbols. Pearl was a symbol of Hester and Dimmesdale’s sin, the innocent reminder of that sin, and balance. He shows her being these symbols often throughout the book. Though, as the book goes on you can notice Pearl start to grow and evolve into the different symbols. Some of her original symbolism stays with her, however, she goes through stages as she ages. She was put through many things she couldn’tRead MoreEssay on Symbolism of the Scaffold in The Scarlet Letter939 Words   |  4 Pages In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, we notice that action only happens in a few places, among which are the forest, the market place, the governor’s residence, and Dimmesdale’s house. Although all these locations are significant to the story, the most important symbol among them is certainly the scaffold in the market place, where the story begins and ends. The scaffoldâ₠¬â„¢s meaning changes throughout the story and has different values for different characters. It represents humiliationRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter: Symbolism in the Forest Essay examples881 Words   |  4 PagesThe Scarlet Letter: Symbolism in the Forest The path strangled onward into the mystery of the primeval forest(179). This sentence displays just one of the multiple personalities that the forest symbolizes in The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorn. As seen in the epic story Wizard of OZ, the forest represents a place of evil and delight, but in the Scarlet Letter the forest symbolizes much more then that. Each character brings out a different side of the forest, however the forest