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.…
The Scarlet Letter, a beautifully embroidered “A” that represented sin and now ability, was constantly the focus of Pearl’s eyes. While Hester has an encounter with Roger Chillingworth, she tells Pearl to go play while she speaks with him. Pearl gets distracted by all of the elements of nature as she entertains herself. “Pearl took some eelgrass, and imitated, as best she could, on her own bosom, the decoration with which she was so familiar on her mother’s. A letter--the letter A--but freshly green, instead of scarlet!” Since she does this, she will not stop pestering Hester about what the “A” actually means. Ironically, She later makes the connection of Hesters “A”, and Reverend Dimmesdale always holding his chest.…
Hester Prynne wears a scarlet letter A on her chest as a symbol to represent that she has committed adultery. In the beginning, the letter is a means of reminding the town of Prynne’s sin, and therefore, negatively affects how society views her. Adorning the letter A is something that Prynne, originally, is meant to be ashamed of. The beautifully embroidered A’s intent is to humiliate her and enable her sin to haunt her for the rest of her life, “‘Ah, but,’ interposed, more softly, a young wife, holding a child by the hand, ‘let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart’” (63). However, after years pass and Prynne continues to wear her letter, it starts represent new meanings other than adulterer.…
The “A” serves as a daily reminder of wrong doings for Dimmesdale constantly weighing on his soul. Hester having a mark for her sin and himself having none causes Dimmesdale great guilt, so he wears his own mark “a scarlet letter- the very semblance of that worn by Hester Prynne- imprinted in the flesh.” Roger Chillingworth, or whatever his name is, isHester Prynne’s husband and a physician. Chillingworth sees the “A” as constant proof of his wife’s betrayal while hes was away. Seeking revenge becomes his passion in life ending with the death of Dimmesdale. As for Chillingworth “all his strength and energy-all his vital and intellectual force- seemed at once to desert him” after the death of Dimmesdale. The scarlet letter”A” has many appearances from strength of character to betrayal. Hester. Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth all have connections with the scarlet letter “A” that Hester wears. This simple symbol ties them together yet, distinguishes them from each other with the personal signifigance of the scarlet letter…
When The Scarlet Letter was written the Author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, discovered many ideas and facts about the Puritan community. Knowing this Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote about how women in the 17th century lived and how strict the society's rules can be, one major rule that was followed strictly phonate was “Actions spoke louder than words, so actions had to be constantly controlled.” (nd.edu). When the book begins it starts with introducing Hester and how she has done this huge violation according to the bible, maybe even causing the death penalty upon herself. As The Scarlet Letter goes through the timeline of how she is isolated and is shunned from the society; eventually, Hester slowly becomes part of the society by being the pure character she really was. This lets her take off the scarlet “A” and change the meaning of Adultery to the meaning of Able. Hawthorne decribes the climax of Hester’s story by expressing, “The letter was the symbol of her calling. such helpfulness…
In the beginning, Hester’s scarlet letter was seen as a sinful, dark, symbol of adultery. However, the townspeople “refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification” (168) and “said that it meant Able”…
Nathaniel Hawthorne beautifully crafts his story by using symbolism to reveal details about the story and its characters. In The Scarlet Letter one of the most obvious and prominent symbols is the scarlet "A" placed on Hester. But many readers do not realize that to accompany the letter is Hester's daughter Pearl. Although they have the one similarity of having manifested themselves in a physical form they do evolve through the story into two completely different things. In the beginning the scarlet letter "A" represents Hester's adulterous sin. It is used against her to humiliate her and to persecute her. Through the story it slowly starts to become something more. The letter…
I used this word because Hester is given the scarlet as a symbol of sin. As she is criticized by the public and possesses the letter, the townspeople think that she will keep acknowledging her sin and shame in order to regret what she did. The narrator, later in the chapter, emphasizes the letter “A” in scarlet, which indicates adultery.…
The scarlet letter A is meant to be a mark of shame for the adulterous act Hester is known for.…
In the beginning of the novel, Hester’s community, specifically the goodwives, discuss how they are angry with Hester’s punishment because they think it is not severe enough. One of the goodwives says, “I’ll tell ye a piece of my mind. It would be greatly for the public behoof, if we women, being of mature age and church-members in good repute, should have the handling of such malefactresses as this Hester Prynne. What think ye, gossips? If the hussy stood up for judgment before us five, that are now here in a knot together, would she come off with such a sentence as the worshipful magistrates have awarded? Marry, I trow not!” (46) This quote shows the community’s resentment of Hester near the beginning of the novel. However, later in the book, it is revealed that as the years have gone by, Hester gained much respect and love through the community because of her hard work and her charity services. Her symbol, the scarlet letter, has also changed in meaning over time. Now, it is not a symbol of sin and isolation, but instead a symbol of Hester’s strength and kindness. Hawthorne says, “Such helpfulness was found in her,--so much power to do, and power to sympathize,--that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They say that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a…
The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, —so much power to do, and power to sympathize, —that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength (111).…
In the book The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is convicted of adultery and ordered to wear the scarlet letter "A" on her chest as a permanent sign of her sin. Hester is sentenced to never take off this badge of shame, and doesn't until chapter thirteen. As the novel proceeds, Hawthorne presents several questions that are left unanswered. How does the nature of the letter "A" seem to change? What role of does Hester's own response to her situation play in changing the meaning of the letter "A"? How does the letter "A" come to be seen as a symbol of the mysterious connection between human experiences (sinful in nature) and a kind of wisdom that would be impossible without failure? Why does Hester not tell who Pearl's father is when she is on…
By wearing the scarlet letter, Salem publically shames Hester. If she leaves the town, then she could remove the A, but instead she stays. She could go away with her daughter Pearl and have a completely normal life. She refuses to leave because the letter has become her identity, and she uses its power. Some people in the town even think that the A now symbolizes “able”, which means something completely different than the original significance. The A now means that Hester’s strength defies everything else, making her able and capable of defending herself. Towards…
The Letter A is a mark of punishment and humiliation. However , Hester Prynne carries the symbol upon her with a very different out look than the puritans intended. Hester and the Puritans both have strong feelings for this Scarlet Letter but both will not come to terms and define a universal meaning for this strong symbol.…
The scarlet letter on Hester's breast embodies passion truth, and sin. Hester wears her identity proudly and accepts herself for who she is in her entirety. Dimmesdale's mark embodies truth, sin, and shame. Hiding the truth only makes the consequence worse and in Dimmesdale's case his mark is punishment for not being true to his whole identity. One should make the best of who they truly are and also whom society views them as. One should not deny any of their flaws because they are a part of whom they are. One should make their greatest flaw their greatest…