Outer Appearance In The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter:
Outer Appearance and the Situation It Occurs In:
The appearance of the scarlet letter is described in a glorified manner despite the meaning behind it. The letter is red, thus why it’s dubbed the, “scarlet letter”. It’s described to have “elaborate embroidery” and have been “artistically done” (50). It is flourished with gold thread. It is also described to be luxurious and fancy, but over the top in terms of Puritan clothing. The letter appears whenever Hester does since it is her punishment to wear it because she committed adultery.
Idea/Concept the Symbol Represents:
In chapters 1-12, the scarlet letter directly represents Hester’s sin, adultery. More abstractly, it represents the emphasis the Puritan society puts on …show more content…
This was shown when a rosebush was in front of the jail giving prisoners their last bit of morality, and was also shown when Hester and Pearl went to the Governor's house. Pearl saw a rosebush outside and desperately wanted a rose. Pearl, although young, could sense that she was an outsider in the community and yearned for that bit of hope for her future. The rose represented a bright outlook for her future that her community wasn't providing and although she wasn't completely aware of it, it's what she …show more content…
Although Pearl was born out of sin, she was also born as a result of Hester and Dimmesdale’s love. Hester acknowledges that Pearl will bring shame to her due to the details of her birth, but focuses more on that fact that either way Pearl is still her daughter. In times of stress for Hester, such as her time on the scaffold, she clutches to Pearl for comfort. Another example is when Governor Bellingham attempts to take Pearl away from Hester and Hester clutches to Pearl and yells at the Governor saying that God gave her the child and that “‘She [Pearl] is my happiness!—she is my torture, none the less!’” clarifying that she acknowledges that Pearl is both pain and joy for her
Outer Appearance and the Situation It Occurs In:
The appearance of the scarlet letter is described in a glorified manner despite the meaning behind it. The letter is red, thus why it’s dubbed the, “scarlet letter”. It’s described to have “elaborate embroidery” and have been “artistically done” (50). It is flourished with gold thread. It is also described to be luxurious and fancy, but over the top in terms of Puritan clothing. The letter appears whenever Hester does since it is her punishment to wear it because she committed adultery.
Idea/Concept the Symbol Represents:
In chapters 1-12, the scarlet letter directly represents Hester’s sin, adultery. More abstractly, it represents the emphasis the Puritan society puts on …show more content…
This was shown when a rosebush was in front of the jail giving prisoners their last bit of morality, and was also shown when Hester and Pearl went to the Governor's house. Pearl saw a rosebush outside and desperately wanted a rose. Pearl, although young, could sense that she was an outsider in the community and yearned for that bit of hope for her future. The rose represented a bright outlook for her future that her community wasn't providing and although she wasn't completely aware of it, it's what she …show more content…
Although Pearl was born out of sin, she was also born as a result of Hester and Dimmesdale’s love. Hester acknowledges that Pearl will bring shame to her due to the details of her birth, but focuses more on that fact that either way Pearl is still her daughter. In times of stress for Hester, such as her time on the scaffold, she clutches to Pearl for comfort. Another example is when Governor Bellingham attempts to take Pearl away from Hester and Hester clutches to Pearl and yells at the Governor saying that God gave her the child and that “‘She [Pearl] is my happiness!—she is my torture, none the less!’” clarifying that she acknowledges that Pearl is both pain and joy for her