Symbols And Motifs In The Scarlet Letter

Symbols and Motifs in The Scarlet Letter

Symbols and motifs in stories often bring a deeper meaning to the writing all together. A symbol is a thing or character that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract. Motif is a dominant idea or feature in a writing. Symbols and motifs go hand in hand in order to develop the overall theme in a story. However, motif is different from theme in that theme is the central idea (Literary Devices/ Motif).

The main motifs that are in The Scarlet Letter are: Man's duality between society and nature, and the motif of day and night affecting people and their activities. Civilization vs. wilderness is a common motif in the novel of The Scarlet Letter.

It's only in the woods where she feels most able to be herself and is free from societies eye. However, Hester's disconnection to society keeps her from living a normal life in God's colony. Her physical appearance alters, all her natural beauty is slowly drained as her disconnection grown and festers. It is also in the wilderness where she feels free to express how she truly feels, and where Dimmesdale and her can express their love. The woods are where the truth can live without fear, it is where Hester tells Dimmesdale the truth about Chillingworth's identity and where the two admit their love. "She had wandered, without rule or guidance, in a moral wilderness; as vast, as intricate and shadowy, as the untamed forest" (Hawthorne 147) this quote from the story shows that Hester as well is an equal to the forest (Man's Relationship to Nature and

The namesake letter in the story is one main symbol that represents the entire meaning of the novel. The letter throughout the story takes on many forms and changes color several times throughout the story. At first it stands very clearly for the sin that Hester has commited. But, as the story continues and Hester grows as a woman it comes to mean something very personal to Hester as a person, and she wears it as a sign of her individuality and strength. Like pearl, the letter is a constant reminder of Hester's deeds, and a puritans society's fascination with purity and punishment. The Native Americans during the election day pageant evn mistake Hester's "A" as a sign that she is nobility and is in charge. Hester's punishment in a ironic occurrence gives her more power and makes her a stronger