The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a book that contains much symbolism and is a perfect example of 19th century romanticism. One aspect of romanticism is the fascination with the natural world, which is captured in Hawthorne's rich use of imagery. He uses the representation of light and darkness to help portray good and evil in society. Plant and growth imagery is also used to reveal the temper of each character. The forest ... represents a home where she can be wild, elf-like. Hawthorne describes the woods as the "great black forest [that] became the playmate of the lonely infant....

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• Grade Level: High School

... were killed for sinning, even the sinner's children were killed, but now adultery isn't punished by death, it usually results in divorce and childcare. 2.a What is Arthur's objective? How does he go about achieving his objective? What obstacles get in his way? How does he overcome them? In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter Arthur Dimmesdale, and old minister, deals with the pain caused by his sin and ... dies in the end. Throughout the story Dimmesdale wants to get reed of the pain and misery caused by his sin. He gets reed of the pain by telling everyone about how he sinned with...

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• Grade Level: High School

... proportion, because when you are in the forest, you are with the Indians, who are "possessed by the devil." The forest was viewed that way because in the early days, Indians used to roam and practice their "magic" there. That view is not very different from Nathaniel Hawthorne's view on the forest in The Scarlet Letter. The Scarlet Letter does not see the forest in such a grim light as does The Crucible, but it does see ... the forest as a place where you express your true self, outside the boundaries of society. The forest is the first place that Hester and Dimmesdale hold hands in pub...

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• 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. Luckily, ... at least for the four main characters, Hawthorne provides a refuge in the dark forest. Hawthorne uses the forest to provide a shelter for members of society in need of a retre...

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• Grade Level: High School

The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet letter is a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is about a woman who was convicted on a horrible crimes back in the 17th century. This story has many themes within its binding. One of the very obvious themes is Civilization verses the Wilderness. In this story it seems like the civilization uses the wilderness to get away. They feel free there and they feel like there are no rules or laws ... in the forest ... this conclusion mainly because they really don't know what lies within the forest. It is an uncontrolled territory. It is natural and nobody can con...

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• Grade Level: High School

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne delivers the insights and thoughts of the many main characters of the novel. Hester Prynne's intuition about certain situations unveils her innermost spirit. Her daughter, the illegitimate Pearl is also another character of great perception. Pearl's psyche on Hester's scarlet letter and her relationship with the Reverend Dimmesdale show how insightfully her mind really works. The subconscious of Hester Prynne is shown openly during her time with Dimmesdale ... in the forest and while at the marketplace, while Pearl's constant perception is shown at it...

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• Grade Level: High School

The Scarlet Letter Symbolism In the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbols of natural origin, in order to emphasize the theme of how human sin can be alleviated, through hope, freedom, and salvation. The first natural symbol, the rosebush, "It may serve, let us hope to symbolize some sweet moral blossom that may be found along the track or relieve the darkening close of tale of human frailty and sorrow" (P. 46). The rosebush represents the ... hope and pure understanding and acceptance of sin. The rosebush's thorns, which can be seen as sin, still allows that sin of thorns to blosso...

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• Grade Level: High School

Sin, Satan, and Sin's Child In Nathaniel Hawthorne's, The Scarlet Letter, he uses many symbols in order to portray ideologies that texturize the novel. Some symbols which include the Scarlet A, Pearl, and the forest. The biggest and most important symbol in this book is the Scarlet A. It is the source of all Hester Prynne's problems and her repentance. The A first means Sin, it is the sign that she must wear for punishment, nonetheless; it ... thought it was a sign of her social status at Election date. When it all comes down to it the Scarlet A is just a sign of human contrivance. Pearl, pl...

• Word Count: 371
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School