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Irony And Symbolism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

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The Meanings behind the Scarlet Letter
In The Scarlet Letter, the letter “A” becomes a lot more than a part of the alphabet. The letter “A” is a symbol that has many different meanings throughout the scarlet letter. The letter “A” was used as the symbol of sin which was adultery. The people who committed the sin were Hester Prynne and Dimmesdale. The “A” was also used to represent the product of her sin which was her daughter Pearl. The “A” had a scarlet red color to represent the fiery flames of hell. The scarlet colored “A” was also used as a reminder for Hester and those around her that even though she was not executed she must live with the sin even after death. The scarlet letter must be engraved on the tombstone of Hester and Dimmesdale to show the act of adultery lasts in the afterlife and only God can judge those involved. The feeling of shame is also shown by the Scarlet “A” due to Hester's reaction to seeing the color red and the reflection of the letter itself.
Even though the letter is meant to be a punishment it later comes to represent Hester herself among the other citizens. The letter was also used as a way to make Hester stronger, but Dimmesdale weaker due to guilt. Hester’s strong will and resourcefulness brings a meaning of ableness to the scarlet letter. Hester shared the burden of the sin with …show more content…

This is the one time that the town embraces the letter, but only because it is seen as a holy sign. The puritans viewed those with the letter as outcasts and therefore the “A” was used as a symbol of segregation. Since Pearl was the product of sin the letter was also used as the symbol of how Pearl was made. Although the Scarlet letter is used as a symbol of pain and suffering, it also symbolizes the love between Hester and Dimmesdale. Hester was also used as a living sermon, which made the “A” itself (her sin) the topic of the church

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Although while she embodies, Hester’s wild side, she also represents the sin that she committed to create her. Pearl is the reason she has the scarlet “A” on her clothes. In first scaffold scene, Hester hides her scarlet “A” by shielding it with Pearl, irony was prevalent, as she was hiding what literally called her an adulterer, with something that symbolized her being an

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Throughout the book The Scarlet Letter, there are many cases of symbolism. One of the most prominent ones is the scarlet A on Hesters chest. The A was a symbol for adultery. Pearl was a symbol of the sin that Hester committed. Pearl is also a symbol of the sun between Hester and whatever his face is.

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Pearl is the symbol of the Scarlet "A" that Hester had to wear because she was the direct result of Hester's Adultery. Through the book, Pearl is used to remind Hester of her past transgressions, of her old life, and of her sin, which causes her shame. Hester rips off the Scarlet "A" in chapter 18 because of her shame, and in chapter 19, Hester calls to Pearl saying, "Come dearest child...,"(Pg. 190) but Pearl does not respond because she does not recognize her mother without the "A" on her chest. This symbolizes how she has known her mother my the "A" showing that even Hester's own daughter has only known her by the Adultery she has committed. In chapter 23, Dimmesdale reveals himself as Pearls father and thereby Hester's "husband," but dies shortly after revealing that information.

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Society had now begun to think that Hester had served her punishment. Although Hester was not accepted society before, she began to see the positive aspects of the community and was able continue on with her own life which eventually led to her being recognition of good character. Eventually recognizing her sin she had become a symbol of the Puritan faith, and eventually found her place in the community in a positive way. In The Scarlet Letter, the whole period of time the letter "A" was embroidered on her clothing it only represented one ideology, which was adultery. However, as time continues forward the community begins to finally start accepting her again, through her positive actions and influences, the letter "A" starts to represent a more positive ideology.

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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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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,

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The Scarlet Letter was Hester’s forced punishment and is a reminder to the whole community of Hester’s sin of adultery. As Hester’s character grows in strength she realizes that “if truth were everywhere to be shown, a scarlet letter would blaze forth on many a bosom” (59). Hester expresses how everyone sins and if everyone was punished the way she was, many people would have to wear a letter of their own. The punishment of wearing the “A” gave Hester the freedom of not having to hide her sins from others. However, the people with hidden sins have to protect their reputation which causes a lack of freedom.

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Hawthorne’s setting in the Scarlet Letter are also symbolic and play a huge role by having the theme stick out. The most influential symbol was the Scarlet A. The letter A in The Scarlett Letter has various meanings and is the more popular symbol in the book. The letter A is a sign of adultery, penance, and penitence. Hester’s A on her bosom brings out that she is suffering and that she is lonely.

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In the beginning the scarlet letter represented adultery and shame, but then the A represented “able.” Hester Prynne showed people that greatness can come out of huge mistake. One bad chapter does not mean your story is over. Willingly, Hester wanted to pick herself up again and move on with her life and eventually people noticed that. They began to respect her and think of her as strong and commendable

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Hester Prynne has been given the scarlet “A” to show to all that she has committed a terrible sin, and has broken the sacred promise she made to her husband. However, instead of finding humility and sorrow from it, she takes pride in the letter. What is she trying to say? That adultery is acceptable? Hester’s punishment should be more labored and reflect upon her sins, and Pearl should be taken and monitored.

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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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Even though the Puritans may have designated the letter as a representation of sin, Hester’s renewed sense of pride does not want society to define the A for her. Rather Hester wants to define it herself and by doing so she develops responsibility and power over her own actions. Because Hester has the power to change who she is, she also has the power to change what the Scarlet Letter represents. By letting the letter be “embroidered with gold thread” readers are able to see how for Hester sin is not something to be fearful of; furthermore, it allows one to see how Hester has developed into an independent individual who accepts who she is and the situation she is presented with. Hester’s lover unfortunately

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First, Hester is required to wear it in public always for committing adultery. Dimmesdale also gives himself the mark because of his own self-guilt. Second The ‘A’ seems almost unavoidable for Dimmesdale. The Scaffold represents major turning points in the Scarlet Letter.

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1322 Words | 6 Pages

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.

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With Hester changing her ways and helping the poor, the community changed, “They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength” (Hawthorne 168). While the community originally viewed the “A” as a symbol of sin, they began to see it too as a symbol of being “Able” because all that Hester Prynne had overcome. The Scarlet Letter had many examples of symbolism, but none were more significant that the letter “A”

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