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Chapter 16 Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter

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In Chapters Fifteen and Sixteen, of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester recognizes her true hatred of Chillingworth just before she finds Pearl, playing at the beach, and creating a green letter A on her own chest out of seaweed. Later, Hester goes to hopefully “run into” Dimmesdale in the forest to reveal to him the truth about Chillingworth’s identity. Pearl comes along, and as they wait, she curiously asks her mother about the Black Man. When Pearl sees Dimmesdale’s figure appear in the distance, she asks whether the approaching person is in fact the Black Man himself, which Hester rejects. Pearl, however, ponders if Dimmesdale clutches his heart, as he does, because the Black Man has left his mark on him, similar to how the …show more content…

In fact, Chapter 16 is practically void of any text that couldn’t be analyzed as some form of symbol. Hawthorne develops numerous images especially that of the contrasting light and darkness and their relationships with Pearl and Hester, and how it thematically separates them. “The sunshine does not love you - it runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom...let me run and catch it - I am but a child - it will not flee from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet” is a quote coming from Pearl in Chapter 16 which really shows Hawthorne’s emphasis on how “light” contrasts Pearl from her mother. Symbolically speaking, this represents the purity and innocence that separates Pearl from her sinful mother. This difference between the two is seen to be developed by Hawthorne earlier in Chapter 15 as well. “Pearl took some eelgrass, and … imitated, on her own bosom, the decoration… on her mother’s : A letter “A”, but freshly green, instead of scarlet!”, a quote pulled from Chapter 15, is another attempt by Hawthorne to convey the contrasting ideal of Pearl’s innocence and purity to Hester’s sin. The green of this imitated scarlet letter worn by Pearl is associated with nature and purity, while the scarlet of Hester’s original letter is typically associated with passion and

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The irony in this, is how the only person that can interpret his sermon, is Hester herself, because they both share the same sin. Hawthorne uses the similes in the chapter, primarily to focus on Pearl, comparing her to birds, for some odd reason. It may possibly be to represent how jittery the readers

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By analyzing Hawthorne’s use of the juxtaposition of Pearl’s mannerisms and the symbolism of the weeds, it is evident that he conveys a disapproval of the rigidity of the Puritans, which establishes his blatant romanticism as an author. Preceding the following passage, Hester Prynne, an adulteress, is given a punishment by the inflexible Puritans of public shame in the form of a red A, which is then represented in the product of that sin, her daughter, Pearl. Hawthorne, after using the symbolism of the rigid, solemn trees and Pearl’s disdain for them, goes on to compare the weeds to Pearl; “...the ugliest weeds of the garden were [the Puritan] children, whom Pearl smote down and uprooted unmercifully” (Hawthorne 98). Pearl exemplifies wildness

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In the novel the scarlet letter, the scarlet letter is shown through the use of imagery and figurative language to demonstrate that judgment through society as well as sin is bad while the scarlet is a symbol of sin wrapped in good and beauty. Hester is able to take something that was meant to be a punishment for a crime she committed and turn it into something absolutely stunning. Hawthorne portrayed Pearl

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While Dimmesdale and Hester are discussing how guilt and sin have affected them differently, Dimmesdale states, “‘Happy are you hester that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret!’” p 131. Dimmesdale compares the way Hester deals with her sin to the way he deals with his. Hester has be open about her sin to the point at which she reveals it on her bosom as the scarlet letter, whereas Dimmesdale keeps it in secret as the guilt boils up inside him.

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While reading The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, it is obvious that he uses a lot of symbolism throughout his writing to give the readers a deeper understanding of the Puritans and their views in these times. In this book, the community forces Hester Prynne to wear a scarlet letter on her chest to show her abashment for committing adultery and having a child, Pearl. However, Pearl is actually used as a symbol throughout this book to represent the physical embodiment of Hester’s sin, the repercussions of her breaking the law, and an unworldly being in the usual strict Puritan society. In the beginning of the book, Hawthorne uses Pearl as a way to constantly remind Hester of her sin and as a link between the secret relationship of Hester

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Symbolism Within The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne created symbolism throughout The Scarlet Letter in order to develop the theme throughout Hester’s life. Hester is portrayed as a sheltered soul, shunned from society due to her adulterous acts. The red A and her daughter, Pearl, are symbols of Hester’s shame which she bares proudly despite society's harsh judgements. Hawthorne is able to use symbolism to develop themes, characters, and analogies in the Scarlet Letter.

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When Pearl looks at her mother’s reflection in a convex mirror, she claims to exclusively see the A: “the scarlet letter was represented in exaggerated and gigantic proportions, so as to be greatly the most prominent feature of her appearance. In truth, she seemed absolutely hidden behind it” (95). Hawthorne clearly illustrates how Pearl and the public choose to see Hester merely as her sin. Even numerous years later, Hawthorne suggest that the townspeople still cannot view Hester

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The book The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne has symbolism all throughout it. People and objects are symbolic of events and thoughts. Throughout the book, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Hester, Pearl, and Arthur Dimmesdale to signify philosophies that are evident during this time period. Hester Prynne, through the eyes of the Puritans, is an extreme sinner; she has gone against their ways, committing adultery. For this sin, she must wear a symbol of shame for the rest of her life.

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Hawthorne uses the fresh green color of Pearl’s letter “A” to symbolize how the scarlet letter has developed a new meaning. Furthermore, this symbol reveals the theme of women and femininity. Hester continues

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Hawthorne uses symbolism throughout the Scarlet letter to display the sin and indecency people see Hester as. The detail represents ,the deep beauty Hester has inside although most people do not see her as a beutiful women. The deep red is a representation of adultery which shows her being an oncast from society. The symbol of the letter “A” is repetitive throughout the novel and grows with Hester and overcomes this with time as people start to see her as a person again and not just a adulterer. Hester acknowledges her sin in her puritan faith but swears to secrecy on the father of Pearl.

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If you lived in a world where hell was inevitable, society judged you in the harshest ways possible, and your husband had been gone for over 2 years, certain sins wouldn’t seem as bad to you as they do today. Hester committed a sin that completely changed her life, and her daughter Pearl’s life. The book used her misfortunes as examples and messages to the reader. Nathaniel Hawthorne composed a book full of symbols, however the Scarlet letter, Pearl, and the meteor were the most important to develop the major themes!

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Hawthorne uses Pearl’s affection towards the scarlet letter and her parents in the book to convey how Pearl wants the truth to be in the spotlight of the Puritan society that they were in, as the truth should be according to Hawthorne. In the forest around the brook, after Hester takes off her scarlet letter in front of Dimmesdale and has her youth restored, Hester calls for Pearl to meet Dimmesdale but Pearl stays in place and throws a tantrum while pointing at Hester’s chest, so Hester observes that “Pearl misses something which she has always seen me wear,’” the scarlet letter (Hawthorne 173). Once Hester puts on the scarlet letter again in the forest, Pearl feels familiar with Hester again and runs into Hester’s arms, but “in a mood of tenderness that was not usual with her, she drew down her mother’s head, and kissed her brow and both her cheeks . . . but then — by a kind of necessity that always impelled this child to alloy whatever comfort she might chance to give with a throb of anguish —

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Pearl is a symbol of the scarlet letter. She was born due to adultery, which is the same reason as to why Hester wears the scarlet letter A. In chapter 7, Pearl is coincidentally put into a red tunic, “...arraying her in a crimson velvet tunic … and flourishes of gold-thread” (Hawthorne 92), which makes Hester realize that she is the human version of the scarlet letter. By Hester realizing this, it shows to the reader that Pearl can be a “sin” and a “blessing” all at the same time.

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