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Essay On The Rose Bush In The Scarlet Letter

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Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter takes place in a Puritan town in the 1600’s. In his book Hester Prynne, who is the protagonist, commits adultery and out of it came a baby and a scarlet letter which she has to wear for the rest of her life. The person she committed adultery with was Reverend Dimmesdale, yet only Hester, Pearl (Her child), Roger Chillingworth (Hester’s long-lost husband) knew until the end of the book. Roger Chillingworth had only wanted revenge on Dimmesdale, so to get said revenge, he had made him feel terrible about keeping that secret from everyone, even Governor Bellingham and his colleague, Reverend Wilson. Even though there are numerous symbols throughout the book, the wild rose bush, Pearl, and the forest/sunlight …show more content…

The rose bush grew just outside the prison doors and has been there for a very long time. It is seen as imperfect because, while it may look beautiful, each rose has its own thorns. Hawthorne explains, “It may serve, let us hope, to symbolize some sweet moral blossom, that may be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow” (Hawthorne 46). This quote shows that the rose bush can be interpreted differently by every reader. It can be seen as good or bad because it is by the prison and has thorns, but it also has beauty. Later on, Pearl was being asked by Reverend Wilson and Reverend Dimmesdale where she came from because they were contemplating whether or not they should take Pearl away from Hester. Hawthorne explains, “... The child finally announced that she had not been made at all, but had been plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison door” (Hawthorne 102). This quote proves that the wild rose bush is a constant symbol of imperfection. Pearl has been seen as a troubled child and very unnatural, but Hester loved her anyway, and that goes to show how the rose bush is imperfect since Pearl was plucked from it. Throughout the book, the wild rose bush has served as a constant reminder of

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