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Adultery In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter'

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Adultery In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter'
SYMBOL1.Scarlet Letter "A"A = Adultery (sin)The meaning changes through the times. Adultery---Able~ Able to face the society with dignity~ Able to accept her punishment alone without any support and friends~ Able to be a mother for Pearl2.Rosebush (Chapter 1: The Prison Door, p. 40-41)Hester = rebel, young soul, conservative, endured.

3.Prison Door (Chapter 1: The Prison Door, p. 40-41)Puritan Community = strict, old generation, conventional.

4.Scaffold (Chapter 2)Moral Discipline = Puritan stiffness rules5.Small Cottage (Chapter 5: Hester at Her Needle, p. 68 )Alienated = living far from the communityCovered by plants that not hiding all of the cottage6.Pearl (Chapter 7: The Governor 's Hall, p. 86)A living version of "A"Hester spiritSincerity
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178-179)The limit that Pearl doesn 't want to cross over14.Dimmesdale 's mark on his bosom (Chapter 23: The Revelation of The Scarlet Letter)His hidden sin of adultery and his hypocrisySYMBOLIC ACTS1.Hester living along with the community instead of leaving the citySymbolize her toughness2.Pearl seems happy when she avoid the children of the Puritans want to threat Hester (Chapter 7: The Governor 's Hall, p 86)Act of protection3. Dimmesdale is covering his bosom with his handHiding his sins not to let other people know4. Dimmesdale turns to perform his evil side, e.g. deceive not recognize his loyal church members (Chapter 20: The Minister in a Maze)Hidden selfish5.Dimmesdale 's kiss on Pearl (Chapter 19: The Child at The Brookside)Symbolize his confession of his sin with Hester and of Pearl as his child6.Pearl 's washing her forehead from Dimmesdale 's kiss (Chapter 19: The Child at The Brookside)Symbolize her reluctance to accept Dimmesdale 's acknowledgement of her …show more content…

At first, it stands for "adulteress", which has negative meaning. Then, later on, it stands for "able" since Hester help others with her ability.

3.About Hester 's clothesPeople expect to see Hester, when she 's about to go to scaffold, dimmed and obscured by a disastrous cloud upon her. But, in fact Hester shines beautifully.

She makes embroidery but she herself wears simple unsophisticated clothes.

4.Hester married to Chillingworth, but none of the two of them love each other. (Chapter 4: The Interview, p. 63)5.About Pearl (Chapter 6: Pearl, p. 75)Pearl is the sign of sin, but Hester named her Pearl instead as she is her valuable treasure.

6.After hearing Dimmesdale 's confession, people respect him more instead of consider him as the worst-sinner and hypocrite. (Chapter 11: The Interior of Heart, p. 122-123)7.Dimmesdale and Chillingworth are suffered more than Hester.

8.Hester insists staying in that Puritan settlement instead of


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