Nathaniel Hawthorne’s gripping psychological romance, The Scarlet Letter, follows the life of adulteress Hester Prynne and the struggles she faces while living in the restrictive culture of 17th-century Puritan America. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne paints a reproachful and critical image of a repressive Puritan community that unjustly torments the protagonist Hester. He effectively portrays the deleterious influences of the religious doctrine by incorporating a number of literary devices including symbols, themes, and motifs.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of The Scarlet Letter is Hawthorne’s use of symbolism to underline the Puritans’ lack of compassion, specifically the scarlet letter ‘A’ Hester is forced to wear as a relentless reminder of her grave sin of adultery. The “ignominious” scarlet letter is first introduced in Chapter 2, “The Market-Place,” as a direct representation of the immoral act of adultery, where the townspeople regard the letter as an almost evil, magical entity, “deriv[ing] its scarlet
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By displaying great humility and generosity towards the poor, the diseased and the afflicted, Hester is able to redeem herself, thereby resulting in the letter signifying the word “Able,” rather than the word “Adultery” (149). When the council proposes to remove the scarlet emblem from her breast, Hester refuses the offer hence manifesting her profound resilience, adamant convictions, and her strong desire to prevent others from dictating her life. Hawthorne employs this stark contrast between Hester’s individuality and society’s conformity to both harshly criticize the rigid boundaries set by Puritans and commend the empowering strength of an individual to transcend those