Symbolism in "The Scarlet Letter" Authors sometimes will use a symbol, such as an object, person or idea, in their novels to represent different things. This is referred to as symbolism. ... In "The Scarlet Letter," Hester Prynne is sent to America alone to wait for her husband to come back from Europe. ... While the three of them are standing on the scaffold together a bright read meteor appeared in the sky, leaving behind a great letter "A." ... Hawthorne uses many elements of symbolism in "The Scarlet Letter." ...

• Word Count: 571
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• Grade Level: High School

This is Hester's first public appearance with her child and the scarlet letter on her bosom. ... Dimmesdale says she may remove the scarlet letter she bears upon her chest if she confesses. ... Her statement signifies an early attachment to the letter and declares her plans to willingly endure her punishment. ... In this scene, Pearl and Hester join him on the scaffold, as they link hands together and watch as a meteor illuminates a letter "A" in the sky. ... Therefore, the scaffold's symbolism changes dramatically throughout the novel; from that of punishment to freedom...

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Scarlet Letter's Use Of Symbolism To Show Psychological Effects Of Sin "The act gross and brief, and brings loathing after it." ... She wears her scarlet letter among the solemnly dressed Puritans as this rosebush wears its scarlet blossoms amidst a small plot of grass and weeds. ... Our first instance occurs during the second famous scaffold scene. ... In a moment of joy, Hester removes the scarlet letter and tosses it away from herself. ... We later see this is true as she lives her final years alone in her cottage on the outskirts of town, still with the scarlet letter a...

• Word Count: 1118
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• Grade Level: High School

The most symbolic piece of work in American Literature is Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne's use of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter is one of the most significant contributions to the rise of American Literature. ... The most important symbol which is carried throughout the novel is undoubtedly the scarlet letter A. ... At night while Dimmesdale is standing on the scaffold he sees a bright red letter A in the sky. ... Nathaniel Hawthorne's use of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter shows his greatness to produce a novel...

• Word Count: 502
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• Grade Level: High School

An Analysis of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a novel of conflict between a woman in love and the stern Puritan community in which she resides. ... The symbolism of the prison, roses, the scaffold, the letter "A," contrasts between light and dark, and the forest throughout the novel are the undefined characters. ... In The Scarlet Letter, images increase the reader's understanding of the characters. ... Gomez 3 On the scaffold, the entire town sees the scarlet letter on Hester's bosom for the first time. ... The scarlet letter ...

• Word Count: 1915
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• Grade Level: High School

Hawthorne also uses many literary elements in The Scarlet Letter, such as symbolism and irony. The Scarlet Letter, pearl, and sunshine are examples of symbolism. ... Pearl's name is also an example of symbolism. ... A final example of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter is the behavior of the sunshine. ... In addition, Hawthorne uses irony a great deal in The Scarlet Letter. ...

• Word Count: 634
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• Grade Level: High School

The Scarlet Letter was the story of Hester Prynne, an adulteress who lived during the Puritan era, and the pain and shame she endured because of her sin. ... In his novel The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne used diction and certain symbols to display his disgust of the Puritan society. ... Hawthorne used this scaffold as a symbol of the hypocrisy of the Puritans, for every spectator of the scaffold scene should have been, in reality, on the scaffold themselves. ... Also, Hawthorne used the scarlet letter itself, the elaborate cloth "A" which Hester wore, as a symbol, for throughout the book t...

• Word Count: 548
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter in 1850, many years after the demise of the New England Puritan society that his novel attacks. ... Hester's sin becomes publicly acknowledged when she has a child; she is forced face humiliation by standing on a scaffold in the center of town and must wear a scarlet letter "A" on her chest. ... Hawthorne's theme of honesty is supported by the events that take place on the scaffold and the symbolism of the scaffold itself. ... The last of the scenes on the scaffold is the most emotionally charged. ... The messages in The Scarlet Letter c...

• Word Count: 891
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• Grade Level: High School

She continues to wear the scarlet letter there. One of the conflicts in The Scarlet Letter is one man's battle against himself. ... The Scarlet Letter is overflowing with symbolism. ... The Scarlet Letter "A" is the central symbol of the novel. ... The scarlet letter also forges a link between the characters. ...

• Word Count: 2338
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

Hawthorne kept The Scarlet Letter with a very optimistic tone. ... He also uses a lot of symbolism. For example, the character Pearl was mostly all symbolism. ... Hawthorne carried the reader through the novel through the three Scaffold scenes. ... As a critic, I thoroughly enjoyed The Scarlet Letter. ...

• Word Count: 914
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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

The Scarlet Letter is a book revealing lives of sin, social identity, and humanity. ... With its complex, emotional plot and its rich symbolism, this masterpiece has become a highly prized classic in American literature. ... Through the crowd's remarks and the narration of Hester's thoughts, it can be concluded that the scarlet letter stands for "adulteress." ... Pearl delights in the scarlet letter and enjoys emphasizing the symbol on her mother's breast. In fact, it is said that when Pearl was a baby, the first feature she noticed about her mother was the scarlet letter on...

• Word Count: 3653
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• Grade Level: High School

Looking Deeper Into the Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, was a well written book. ... Before the class discussion, I enjoyed the book, but did not feel there was any other symbolism than the scarlet "A" representing Hester's sin. ... I was glad for Hester when Dimmesdale finally did stand up at the scaffold and confess his sins. ... Symbolism was a major area that I had problems with. ... The scaffold also represents an important part of the book. ...

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• Grade Level: High School

A Burden Will be Lifted The Scarlet Letter is portrayed with profound symbolism and revolves around the idea that hidden guilt causes more suffering than open guilt. This theme along with its symbolism is demonstrated through the lives of the three main characters - Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth throughout the story. Their personalities are shown most clearly during the scaffold scenes. ... Here, at night, on the scaffold, Dimmesdale confesses his sin. ... That will be the setting of the last scaffold scene. ...

• Word Count: 1149
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• Grade Level: High School

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the great novels in American Literature. Hawthorne's use of symbolism in the novel is very significant. ... "The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. ... 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. ... The synopsis o...

• Word Count: 661
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• Grade Level: High School

From Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, One of the most complex and misunderstood symbols in the book is Pearl, the illegitimate daughter of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmsdale. ... At first, Pearl is curious of why her mother wears the scarlet letter on her chest. ... Hawthorne presents symbolism from three main time periods of Pearl's life, birth, age three and age seven. ... Pearl's curiosity of the scarlet letter on Hestor's chest is unusual for a child her age. ... She showed this the day Dimmsdale got on the scaffold to realize how it felt to be the shame of the...

• Word Count: 442
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• Grade Level: High School

Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, is a classic tale of human frailty and sin and the hardships that are caused by a single mistake. ... At the same time, The Scarlet Letter, tells the story of one woman's struggle to find meaning in living after disobeying the highly regarded word of God. ... The Scarlet Letter uses dark romanticism as Hawthorne attempts to explain the sinfulness of human nature and why people act as they do. ... The mistress is even "present" in chapter 12 when Dimmesdale appears on the scaffold. ... It [the letter] was revealed!" ...

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• Grade Level: High School

Hawthorne's novel "The Scarlet Letter" was published in 1850 and when it was first released it did not do well. ... Although Hawthorne wrote many novels, none of them were as successful as "The Scarlet Letter". ... In the Scarlet Letter, there is the symbolic significance of various settings: the scaffold; the forest, which ironically becomes an oasis of freedom for Hester and Dimmesdale, though everyone else views it as the devil's territory. ... The scaffold is a place in the Scarlet Letter in which Puritan punishment takes its course, through the scorn that...

• Word Count: 1003
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many different objects and people as symbols to express his message throughout the book. ... Perhaps the most complex symbol in the book is the most obvious and prevalent one, the books namesake, The Scarlet Letter itself. ... A third symbol Hawthorne uses in The Scarlet Letter is Pearl, Hester's daughter. ... He arrives in Boston while Hester is on the scaffold for the first time. ... In Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, there are many more than just these four prevalent symbols. ...

• Word Count: 777
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• Grade Level: High School

In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne reveals his transcendentalist message by using many elaborate symbols. ... "This scarlet letter is his mark!" ... The minister might as well be the devil because he is the cause of the scarlet letter she carries. ... The scarlet letter that Hester wears on her bosom is an "A" for adultery. ... And thus, while standing on the scaffold, in this vain show of expiation, Mr. ...

• Word Count: 1820
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• Grade Level: High School

Nathaniel Hawthorne strayed from this redundant theme in his story The Scarlet Letter. ... After reading The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is ranked towards the top of the hero list. ... The reason why I feel empowered by Hester after reading The Scarlet Letter comes from the chapter titled "The Revelation of the Scarlet Letter". ... Some critics of Hawthorne say that he overdid symbolism. ... The Scarlet Letter. ...

• Word Count: 3565
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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the letter A is given to the characters Hester and Dimmesdale. ... For Hester, the Scarlet Letter symbolizes her adultery and for Dimmesdale, it is a reminder of his hidden sin. The characters are given different punishments corresponding to their symbolisms. ... The Scarlet Letter portrays the idea that guilt is harsher and more destructive than public punishments. ... The letter was the symbol of her calling. ...

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The book "The Scarlet Letter" written by Hawthorne has lot of changes within it. The Scaffold in the beginning of the book is represented as a place for transgressors. ... The second time in the book where The Scaffold changed its symbolism takes place at the middle of the night. ... So, the second time when the Scaffold reappears in the book, it represents unity. ... The Scaffold's changes it's meaning three times through out the book. ...

• Word Count: 695
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• Grade Level: High School

An Analysis of the Market Place and the Forest Wilderness of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter ABSTRACT An Analysis of the Market Place and the Forest Wilderness of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter This research paper concentrates on the meanings of the two settings of the marketplace and the forest wilderness of Nathaniel Hawthorne's the Scarlet Letter. ... Outline An Analysis of the Marketplace and the Forest Wilderness of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter I. ... The brief introduction of Hawthorne's the Scarlet Letter. 3. ... He began writing hi...

• Word Count: 2453
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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter"" is exceedingly rich, both thematically and symbolically. ... The themes of personal guilt and an individual's place in society are examined in this novel and the symbol of the scarlet letter A is used to illustrate the manner in which the main characters deal with this guilt. ... When strangers looked curiously at the scarlet letter, "and none ever failed to do so, "they branded it afresh into Hester's soul; so that, oftentimes, she could scarcely refrain, yet always did refrain, from covering the symbol with her hand" (Haw...

• Word Count: 872
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School