Personification And Symbolism In Nina Baym's The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter in the Scarlet Letter According to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary “character” is, “a conventionalized graphic device placed on an object as an indication of ownership, origin or relationship.” (Character) The article “The Scarlet Letter In The Scarlet Letter” written by Nina Baym discusses how the scarlet letter is the most important character in the novel. She does this by showing where the letter is the strongest throughout the entire novel. Upon reading this article, Nina Baym is correct in her belief that the scarlet letter is the main character because of its recognizability, personification, and symbolism in The Scarlet Letter. The scarlet letter is very symbolic through the entirety of the novel because it represents

It is personified time and time again during the novel so that the reader can actually question if it is only a piece of cloth. The townspeople seem to feel as if the letter represents a supernatural force or being. Whether it is God or the devil or something in between. This can be seen in Baym’s writing when she says, “but they certainly share his idea that the letter is no more than a pointer to a truth that is somewhere else. The truth to which the letter refers is in an invisible, divine world: not “inside” the human heart,” (Baym 85). This quote shows how the puritans believe the letter represents and to an extent actually personifies some divine figure. The puritans are worried by this and it shows in their actions. Another example of personification of the scarlet letter is during the first scaffold scene. Where Hester is on trial for adultery and has to stand on the scaffold to bear the shame of her crime Hawthorne says, “an infant on her arm, and the letter “A” in scarlet, fantastically embroidered with gold thread, upon her bosom! Could it be true? She clutched the child so fiercely to her breast that it sent forth a cry,” (Hawthorne 66). Here is the first example of the letter personifying Pearl. Hester is wearing the scarlet letter which represents her sin, and she is holding Pearl which also represents her sin. Only Pearl is a real life version of the letter. After all, Pearl is

The letter is recognized by many different people, in lots of places, and ways in every chapter of The Scarlet Letter. In Baym’s words, “the letter is permanently inscribed in one way or another on Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl.” (Baym 84). Everywhere Hester walks for example, she is met by the glares of people staring at the scarlet letter. The townspeople are not seeing Hester, they are recognizing the scarlet letter on her bosom and turning away. This is the same for Pearl but possibly to an even greater extent because she has not socialized with anyone of the town. As for Dimmesdale, no one knows about his crime until he says it and even then he dies soon after so it is unclear how he is recognized by the town. All throughout nature, the letter can be seen in different places. In the words of Baym, “it is featured in the sky, repeated in mirrors, eyes, brooks-everywhere one looks, another letter.” (Baym 54). The characters notice this representation. “And there lay the scarlet letter, so close upon the margin of the stream that the gold embroidery was reflected in it.” (Hawthorne 199). Hester most specifically saw the letter during her fight with Pearl by the