... . Each individual has his own interpretation of the symbols used. For example, the scarlet letter is the mark of Hester's adultery to society, but to Hester it is a symbol of her passion and love for Dimmesdale and it reminds her of her strength. Towards the end of the story, society changes their perceptions of the scarlet letter to mean "able- rather than "adulterer-. The narrator refers to Pearl as the moral blossom of the novel. She is the one that will teach the moral lesson of the ... story. This is revealed in chapter ... ...

• Word Count: 1487
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... 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. Much of Hawthorne's symbolism is very hard to find but several symbols are also obvious. In the first chapter Hawthorne describes the prison as "the black flower of civilized society". The prison represents the crime and punishment that was incorporated in the early Puritan life. He also contrasts the prison with the tombstone at the end of the novel by ... red letter A in the sky. While Pearl is playing near the bay shore sh...

• Word Count: 502
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... He decides to take revenge on Dimmesdale. Chillingworth had suspected Dimmesdale of being Pearl's father for a long time but he knows it for sure at the end of chapter 10, when he finds the minister fallen asleep in his room and sees the scratch on the form of the letter A. "The physician advanced directly in front of his patient, laid his hand upon his bossom, and thrust aside ... to prevent contact with those sinners, "As the two wayfares came within the precincts of the town, the children of the puritans looked up from their play, - or what passed for play with those sombre little urc...

• Word Count: 1627
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... , but why there are two different words to describe males and females in this realm is another essay. The reason why I feel empowered by Hester after reading The Scarlet Letter comes from the chapter titled "The Revelation of the Scarlet Letter". As Dimmesdale is walking along in the procession after he has given his election sermon he stops at Hester and Pearl and bids them come stand ... , but one symbol that is not overdone and is actually under considered is that of Hester as a heroine. The Scarlet Letter was brilliantly written, and without knowing it Hawthorne is still influencing ...

• Word Count: 3565
• Approx Pages: 14
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... in the 17th century. The following will explain the nature of evil in the stories, "The Scarlet letter" and the "Minister's Black Veil". The Scarlet letter deals with guilt, fervor, and hypocrisy in a tough Puritan society. Hester and Dimmesdale's experience relates to the story of Adam and Eve because, in both cases, sin results in expulsion and suffering. But it also results in knowledge, specifically, in knowledge of what it means to be human. For Hester, the scarlet letter ... really the nature of evil for the sin she has committed? The book argues that true evil comes from the clos...

• Word Count: 471
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... causes her own emotional isolation. "It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity and inclosing her in a sphere by herself." (40) However, the people's attitude does change. It goes through various roller-coasters of positive and negative meanings throughout the course of the novel. The symbolism of the scarlet letter is expanded in Chapter Five, Hester at Her Needle. Whereas at ... meanings. The letter begins to represent the hidden shame of the community. This shame is shown through Hester's reactions around the community, like when she almost co...

• Word Count: 1352
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... this world already knows sin. The women of the town criticize her for embroidering the scarlet letter, the symbol of her shame, with such care and in such a flashy manner. This seems to declare that Hester is proud, rather than ashamed, of her sin. In reality, Hester just learns to accept her sin as a part of herself, just like her child. Chapter five deals with one of the major questions of the book: why does Hester ... that have happened to her here for her to leave. Additionally, he adds, Hester feels bound to Pearl's father, who apparently continues to live in Boston. But there seem...

• Word Count: 295
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter", life is centered around a rigid, pure society in which one is unable to show his or her deepest thoughts and secrets. Every human being needs the opportunity to express how they truly feel, or the emotion is bottled up until it explodes. Unfortunately, Puritan society did not permit this expression, so characters had to use different ways to relieve themselves ... is presumed that you need only yourself, and therefore should hold no feeling of need for a "shoulder to cry on". But, for people in the Puritan way of life in which Hester and Dimmesda...

• Word Count: 1015
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School