The Scarlet Letter: Shame, Despair, Solitude

Besides being the beacon from Hester's breast the letter "A" is presented in several forms. It is on the armor breastplate in Governor Bellingham's garden, in the sky on the night of Dimmesdale's scaffold vigil, continually little Pearl is pictured to be the scarlet letter personified, and the most dramatic of the "A"'s is that which is on Dimmesdale's chest when he reveals his chest and sin. As well as appearing in various forms the letter symbolizes different meanings to the characters. To Hester, a device of unjust humiliation; to Dimmesdale, a reminder of his own guilt; to Chillingworth, a token of his quest for revenge; but to the community the letter morphs from a simple blatant connotation into the representation of one woman's ability to overcome unjust humiliation, alienation, and the cowardice of her lover.

Hester Prynne's dignity and strength allow her to withstand the public humiliation she endures. "The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where ot

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