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Use of symbolism in the scarlet letter essay
Use of symbolism in the scarlet letter essay
Use of symbolism in the scarlet letter essay
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In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses rhetorical devices such as imagery, symbolism, and foreshadowing. Foreshadowing, is used to reveal Pearl’s father to the reader. Hawthorne reveals that Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale is Pearl’s father, through Dimmesdale’s relationships with the other characters as well as his words and deeds. Throughout the novel, it is clear to the reader that Pearl and Dimmesdale have a unique relationship. As Dimmesdale, on behalf of the other ministers, attempts to convince Hester to reveal who Pearl’s father is, he gives a moving speech that impacts all his listeners: “even the poor baby, at Hester’s bosom, was affected by the same influence; for it directed its hitherto vacant gaze towards Mr. Dimmesdale,
The hypocrisy of 1600s Puritan society was often disguised behind a facade of moral righteousness. Puritans claimed to use public shaming as a way to better the morals of society and lead people to repent; however, it was highly hypocritical as the Puritans found pure entertainment in the downfall of others and completely neglected sinners rather than educating them. Puritan society thrived off of gossip and rumors, which goes against many biblical morals. Nathaniel Hawthorne, a 19th century transcendentalist, tells the story of how 1600s colonial Puritan society reacts to a woman who commits the sin of adultery in the 1850 The Scarlet Letter. In an excerpt from Chapter 13, the transcendentalist ideals of Nathaniel Hawthorne are reflected through
In The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne, Hawthorne uses diction to characterize John Wilson. Hawthorne begins by talking about the malevolent John Wilson by calling him a culprit. An older meaning of culprit is the cause of a problem or defect. Going with this, Hawthorne begins this passage by stating John Wilson is the cause of the problem. Later in this passage Pearl, Hester’s child, begins wailing and screaming.
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.
However, as you dig deeper, you will see Hawthorne’s true purpose for writing the novel. In the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses irony to criticize the Puritan ideals. Hester’s Scarlet “A” is used to show how imperfect the Puritans are. The narrator describes Hester’s scarlet letter when he says: “On the breast of her gown,
Hawthorne also uses dark diction like “wandered without a clew in the dark” and “labyrinth of a mind” to display that Hester is unable to break free from society, and instead wanders around without a purpose. In the last sentence he says “the scarlet letter had not done its office to prove that even though he is ultimately disappointed in Hester, he is also somewhat proud of her. He uses compare and contrast to describe this feeling. He contrasts the “wild and ghastly scenery” with the last sentence to show the many different ways he feels about Hester. The last sentence implies that even though he may seem disappointed in just about everything Hester has done, he is still able to see the good she has done in her
Novelist, Nathaniel Hawthorne, in his 1850 novel, The Scarlet Letter, argues that love and hate are indistinguishable. He supports the claim by integrating similes, utilizing antithesis, and including juxtaposition. Hawthorne’s purpose is to persuade readers that love and hate share similar ideological feelings in order to authorize adults harboring vengeful feelings to forgive those who are causing them. He adopts an ambiguous tone for the feeling of self-reflective contemplation. Hawthorne uses similes to compare the life of Roger Chillingworth to a, “wilting” and “uprooted weed.
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.
The rose-bush conveys a brighter and joyful tone, which is evident when words like “delicate gems” and “fragile beauty” are used as descriptors. The rose-bush is further talked about as a happy symbol for people walking into the prison: “...and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom, in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and be kind to him.” This quote shows parallelism while talking about someone’s heading to their doom, and having something even that small to give them joy. The parallelism used here is in place to help shift the tone from gloomy and depressed, to something brighter and happier.
The scarlet letter has different meanings throughout the story and to each of the characters. The original meaning of the scarlet “A” is “Adultery”, but later in the story the townspeople and other characters begin to interpret it in different ways, each of them with their own idea and belief. Hester starts being more active in society and that makes the townspeople think differently about the scarlet “A”. The scarlet letter doesn´t keep the same meaning throughout the whole story, it changes with Hester´s actions and the Puritans beliefs. Hester starts being more active in society, she starts helping the poor and nursing the sick.
In the book, The Scarlet Letter, the author Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism to bolster the characters and to help the readers get a better understanding of them. Symbolism is used by writers to better relate to objects. Some examples of symbolism would be in chapter 7. These would have to include: Pearl/the scarlet letter, the sunlight on Governor Bellingham’s mansion, and the reflection within the suit of armor. These three examples are the most paramount to help to reveal the characters and to distribute Hawthorne’s message.
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
In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne effectively conforms to the conventions of the gothic genre for the purpose of characterizing the Puritan society as oppressive, portraying the hypocrisy found within the society and highlighting the consequences for not confessing
Abortion tends to be the most common way for a woman to get out of an unwanted pregnancy but that does not in any way make it right. Personally, I find it disgusting how someone can make the decision to terminate an innocent life due to one’s carelessness. In 2008 alone there were about 14,000 abortions carried out in Scotland which shockingly sums up to about 40 each day. I understand that pregnancy can happen by mistake however I know that most of the time people get pregnant due to having unprotected sex. For that reason alone, abortion should never be an option as I believe if someone willingly has unprotected sex they should have to deal with the consequences that comes with their actions.
According to Andre Carson, a U.S. Representative, “People are always judging you based on where you 're from, where you went to school, how you look, how you talk. But at the end of the day, you 're going to have to look into the mirror and accept who you are. It 's all about being authentic” (Brainyquote). The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, takes place in Puritan times, where most people had strong opinions about religion and what was considered acceptable in society. Throughout the story, Hawthorne uses the symbol “A” to depict the suffering and stern Puritan beliefs of the characters.
