Scarlet Letter Rhetorical Analysis Essay

The understanding of varied historical and cultural meanings associated with ‘walks’ aid the 21st century reader in interpreting how Nathaniel Hawthorne purposefully characterizes Hester and Dimmesdale to unify a thematic concern for The Scarlet Letter. Solnit’s diction develops important imagery (specifically metaphors) to guide the reader’s understanding of ‘walking’. “Walking becomes testifying” (Wanderlust: A History of Walking) The denotation of the word ‘testifying’ means to serve as evidence or proof of something’s existing or being the case. Testifying is used as a neutral connotation, which gives the readers the feel that the character is endorsing something. For example, at a festival, the people are a part of the festivity and at
a pilgrimage, the people realize that they have chosen to walk for four months and are getting to know nature. “Public marches mingle the language of the pilgrimage in which one walks to demonstrate one’s commitment,” (Wanderlust: A History of Walking). In Chapter 2, The Market-Place, Hester demonstrates her commitment to Dimmesdale when she was walking alone to the scaffold and when she was on the scaffold for three hours and didn’t say anything on who the father of Pearl is.
“Preceded by the beadle, and attended by an irregular procession of stern-browed men and unkindly-visaged women, Hester Prynne set forth towards the place appointed for her punishment.” (Chapter 2, The Market-Place) The action of Hester standing on the scaffold and having the ability to confess relates to how punished politicians have the ability to say something that won’t change the people’s mind, but to get off his/her chest before potential death/ punishment. “On ordinary days, we each walk alone,” (Wanderlust: A History of Walking) The idea of walking alone is represented throughout the novel with Hester walking alone to the scaffold in Chapter 2, The Market-Place and repeated when she was taking care of Pearl alone in a distant area from the community in Chapter 5, Hester At Her Needle. In addition this idea applies to Dimmesdale refuses to have Chillingworth give him medicine and DImmesdale suffers from guilt, which is the product of an internalized self-disapproval by himself in Chapter 10, The Leech And His
Patient. “On extraordinary days, we walk together,” (Wanderlust: A History of Walking). The scene in Chapter 16, A Forest Walk of Hester and Dimmesdale walking/ being together in the forest with Pearl would be classified as a remarkable day for the both of them. “Such walking is a bodily demonstration of political or cultural conviction and one of the most universally available forms of public expression.” (Wanderlust: A History of Walking) Hester walking down the scaffold and having her punishment of three hours standing on the scaffold in Chapter 2, The Market-Place represents how the Puritan way of life is very strict along with the how the Puritans are as a community. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses ‘walking’ as symbolism to focus on the idea that there are many variations/ forms of walking with many different meaning, but in this novel, all the meanings of walking are important based on the fact that they focus on the overall idea that truth should always prevail.