... Earlier in the story Hester was also a heroine to those who were needy. She spent her spare time sewing clothes for those who could not afford them. Again, she is acting selfless which is what any hero does. To deny her acts as heroic is difficult. Many people think of Hercules ... scarlet letter and never being able to crawl out from under the shadow it gave off. Some critics of Hawthorne say that he overdid symbolism. Henry James says, "It is overdone at times, and becomes mechanical" (89). This may be true, but one symbol that is not overdone and ... the Age of Emerson and Whitman. L...

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