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Changing Nature Of Scarlet Letter

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The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne exemplifies the changing nature of the Scarlet letter A, insinuating that symbols derive meaning from society. The signification of the scarlet letter depended on society’s opinion of the letter. At the beginning of the book, Hester is marked with a scarlet letter for committing adultery. Society shunned her for committing such a grave sin. Despite this, she worked hard and later became “a Sister of Mercy”(146). Society soon saw the A to mean “Able” for Hester had a “woman’s strength.”(146) Their opinion of her was changing and that changed the meaning of the scarlet letter which was plastered on her bosom. When the symbol of the scarlet letter A referenced other people, such as Winthrop or Dimmesdale,
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