Preview

Hawthorne's Use Of Symbolism In Scarlet Letter

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
154 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Hawthorne's Use Of Symbolism In Scarlet Letter
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the author makes use of symbolism, imagery, religious symbolism, and setting to create the tone of risk and have the quest for freedom. Throughout Hester’s life, the author also uses fate, irony, and romance to evoke the heroine’s risky lifestyle. Hester’s appearance sets the tone of risk because she risks getting caught with Dimmesdale in the forest, all while she has the quest for freedom from her town and freedom with Dimmesdale. Hawthorne first uses symbolism to create the tone of risk. In the novel, Hester lives in a strict religious colony with citizens known as the Puritans. She risks being thrown in jail as “the Puritans compressed whatever mirth and public joy” (Hawthorn 155) to meet up
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Symbols In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
    • 281 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Symbols In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    There are a lot of symbols throughout The Scarlet Letter. Some symbols stay the entire book other just fades as the book goes on. Three of the biggest symbols that stay the entire book are the Roses on the prison door, the scarlet A, and Pearl.…

    • 281 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Irony in Scarlet Letter
    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Irony in Scarlet Letter

    Nathaniel Hawthrone’s Scarlet Letter is praised as one of the most revolutionary and compelling literary works in modern American history. The narrator’s omniscient, descriptive lingustics enfore the story’s captivating plot as well as invokes insights on the moral fiber of each character. For some, the novel is an inspiration to readers in regard to the powerful protagonist, Hester Prynne, with her feminism and strength in the face of adversity; or by her daughter’s pure spirit, or even the devotion of the minister Dimmesdale to his congregation. As popular and coveted is the complex plot, Hawthorne’s literary talents excel within each paragraph. The story is historical in its characters and what they represent, but is exciting because of its constantly misleading irony. The author uses irony systematically throughout the book to keep the reader guessing, whether verbal irony in Chillingworth’s words, situational irony - Hester and Dimmesdale’s burst of joy before a tradgic ending - or the dramatic irony of Dimmesdale’s secret relationship with Hester. The deceptive techniques used by Hawthorne are what makes this elderly tale so relevant today.…

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Time Heals All Wounds In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Time Heals All Wounds In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter describes life through the eyes of 4 main characters, including a woman who was caught of committing adultery. Hester Prynn was the emotional martyr and symbol of the Scarlet Letter. Throughout the course of the story she undergoes change in her mentality state, the way her eyes perceive the World, and perhaps even the way she smiles. Her strength becomes the Scarlet Letter and her innocent Pear. She encounters much conflict (internal and external), throughout the story. Hester, once a prisoner of her sin, spent a long life held by its chains. This all transpired until forgiveness stepped in.…

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use Symbols In The Scarlet Letter
    • 570 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use Symbols In The Scarlet Letter

    In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, many concepts and ideas are represented and shown by using symbols. Hawthorne’s concrete symbols used to epitomize abstract ideas change meaning as characters, notably the main character Hester Prynne, grow and change. With its connotation changing from negative to positive, the symbol of the scarlet letter “A” represents Hester as adulterous, angelic, and able.…

    • 570 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hawthorne's Symbolism in Scarlet Letter
    • 609 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Hawthorne's Symbolism in Scarlet Letter

    Symbolism was a literary movement during the nineteenth century that influenced many poets. Symbolism is anything that stands for or represents something else. "The Scarlet Letter", by Nathaniel Hawthorne is filled with symbolism which he uses to unify the novel and add a deeper level of meaning to the story. In the novel, the three most important symbolisms were the forest, the scaffold, and the scarlet letter "A" on Hester's bosom. But the symbolism of the scarlet letter "A" outweighs every other symbolism.…

    • 609 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay Scarlet Letter Rhetorical Analysis
    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Essay Scarlet Letter Rhetorical Analysis

    For Hester, the scarlet letter represents a hindrance to her freedom, reminding her of her heavy sin. Hawthorne uses a metaphor in this passage, comparing the effect of the scarlet letter as a “withering spell.” This shows how one sinful act can prevent Hester from experiencing joys in life, similar to how putting on the scarlet letter hides Hester’s hair, and therefore, her femininity. The phrase “an evil deed invests itself with the character of doom,” describes how an evil act leads to one’s downfall. This supports the theme that one cannot escape one’s own…

    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did Chillingworth's Change In The Scarlet Letter
    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How Did Chillingworth's Change In The Scarlet Letter

    Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter follows the life of Hester Prynne after she commits adultery and is forced to wear the scarlet letter upon her bosom for the rest of her life. Hawthorne uses setting, allusion, metaphor, irony, and diction to set a sombre tone. In chapter 9, Hawthorne reveals the evil qualities of Roger Chillingworth and Reverend Dimmesdale’s disposition. In the battle of good and evil, good does not always win.…

    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter
    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Essay On Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter

    Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of “The Scarlet Letter” chooses to use a number of different symbols in vital scenes throughout his book. In the story, the reader will recognize a number of different images that have much deeper meanings contributing to the plot of the novel. Hawthorne produces a detailed image for the reader and makes the symbols clear in his writing. Symbolism is a major aspect of “The Scarlet Letter”, without it, the story would not be as highly regarded as it is today.…

    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Symbolism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Symbolism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    (An analysis of the letter ‘a’ and all the symbolisms behind it from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter.)…

    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hester Prynne In Scarlet Letter
    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Hester Prynne In Scarlet Letter

    In conclusion, Hawthorne’s use of irony is shown throughout the novel, but particularly in the passage from chapter two where Hester is first being condemned for her wrongdoings. Such as, the symbolism of Pearl and the A, and similarly the comparison between Hester herself and the A, and way she is described in such a positive…

    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hester Prynne Social Pressure
    • 812 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Hester Prynne Social Pressure

    The Scarlet Letter is a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This essay discusses how Hester is a victim of her social pressure. She was punished for something she did to achieve her dream of having someone that loves her. Hester committed adultery with minister Dimmesdale and had a child with him, Pearl. Her punishment was to stand on the scaffold with her child and wear the letter A on her breast as a sign of her “crime”. Due to the strictures of the puritan society, Hester Prynne suffers from public shaming. She almost lost her only child, and was not able to openly love who she wanted.…

    • 812 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use Symbols In The Scarlet Letter
    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use Symbols In The Scarlet Letter

    In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism to reinforce the idea that, for every action, there is a positive or negative effect that will follow. In simple terms, if you do something bad, there will be a negative consequence. One of the main recurring symbols in the novel is the scarlet letter itself. The scarlet ‘A’ that Hester Prynne wears in the novel is worth a lot more than just its material value, it relays many ideas and themes. The ‘A’ is a punishment for one of the worst sins that could be committed; adultery. The punishment that is caused by the scarlet ‘A’ manifests itself in different ways and in different people. For example, Hester’s punishment comes in the form of public embarrassment and shame, whereas Minister Dimmesdale’s guilt comes in the form of personal guilt. The ‘A’ means different things at different times in the book also.…

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use Symbols In The Scarlet Letter
    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use Symbols In The Scarlet Letter

    Symbolism is one feature in The Scarlet Letter that Nathaniel Hawthorne uses quite a lot; and I find it especially interesting how he is able to cleverly use metaphors to get this symbolism across. Symbolism runs wild throughout the book in the form of Pearl. Pearl is like an extended metaphor in a sense because, throughout the romance, Hawthorne uses her as a living reminder of the Scarlet Letter and the sin that Hester commits. This strategy adds an interesting element to the book since the reader is constantly reminded of Hester’s condemnation without Hawthorne having to continually speak of the Scarlet Letter and the sin attached to it. I personally feel bad for both Hester and Pearl because of the way others treat them.…

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How to Read Literature Like a Professor
    • 1402 Words
    • 6 Pages

    How to Read Literature Like a Professor

    -The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne: Hester wearing the scarlet letter A is a perfect example of exploitation. By making her weaker, idealistic society grows stronger. A major theme is sin, relating easily to the evilness of sex in a puritan society.…

    • 1402 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    stupid paper
    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages

    stupid paper

    To begin with, the most important and influential symbol in the entire book is the infamous scarlet letter, hence the title, The Scarlet Letter. In the second chapter, Hester walks out of the prison, wearing the ill-famed scarlet letter ‘A’. During the first few years of Hester’s punishment, the letter was a daily reminder of shame. Hawthorne marks, “…Hester Prynne had always this dreadful agony in feeling a human eye upon the token; the spot never grew callous; it seemed, on the contrary, to grow more sensitive with daily torture.”(90). As the story unfolds, though, this letter comes to mean other things to Hester and the people. Rather than bringing torture to Hester, it eventually becomes a symbol to some people meaning “able.” Hawthorne writes, “They said that it meant ‘Able’; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength.”(178). Then a few pages later, “The scarlet letter had not done its office.”(182). The scarlet letter was meant as a punishment for Hester, and yet here we see that it hasn’t punished Hester. It was applied to her so she wud feel and show others her sin and how she is punished by it. She writes, “Thus, we…

    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics