Symbolism And Vivid Imagery In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

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

Hawthorne explains how Hester is viewed as a woman who has lost all of her previous glow due to the shame she has had to carry and isolation she was forced into. He states that “her rich and luxuriant hair had either been cut off, or was so completely hidden by a cap” that it never “gushed into the sunshine.” Hester’s hair is used as both a literal loss and a symbolic loss. Yes, she no longer displays a physical feature that added to her beauty, however it also represents her loss of character. Her public shaming, isolation, and abandonment from society turned her from a vibrant woman to an extremely gloomy one. The town believes that she has lost all individuality and has become stone cold. Her hair, therefore, is symbolic of all the happiness and personality that she once had, but while her hair is gone, these traits have also vanished. Hawthorne also enlists the use of vivid imagery to express Hesters new persona. He stated, “all the light and graceful foliage of her character had been withered up by this red-hot brand”. Hawthorne uses “light” and “graceful foliage” to symbolize Hester's original personality. These words represent positivity and are used by him to represent the glow and liveliness of her personality. However, the use of vivid imagery, in reference to the “red-hot brand”,

He discusses Hester's daughter, Pearl, and how the fall of Hester would also affect Pearl's livelihood. Hawthorne explains, “often impelled Hester to ask, in bitterness of heart, whether it were for ill or good that the poor little creature had been born at all.” Hesters admittance of the fact that she has contemplated whether or not Pearl deserves to be alive signifies Hawthorne's use of a complex tone. Within the statement, he shows how Hester is recognizing that the life she has brought Pearl up in is not ideal. Out of the sorrow in her heart that she has for Pearl, Hester realizes that her daughter may have been better off never being born, as Hester has lost the abilities that she once had to be a loving mother. When Hawthorne declares, “the effluence of her mother’s lawless passion,” he is essentially blaming her for her misfortune and saying that her mistakes have led her to where she is; however, he implies that it was inevitable with how uncontainable her personality and passion was. This slightly condemnatory tone towards Hester contradicts the sorrow and criticization towards society that he once had. Hawthorne is experiencing a complexity in his tone. It seems as though he is unsure of where he should stand on this issue. Hawthornes transcendentalist ideas praise individuality, so her