Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter in 1850, many years after the demise of the New England Puritan society that his novel attacks. The novel follows the struggles of two sinners in the morally strict Massachusetts Bay Colony in the seventeenth century. A young woman named Hester Prynne and the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale commit adultery. 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. At the same time, Dimmesdale suffers in secrecy and his guilt causes him endless misery. As the novel progresses, Hawthorne makes it clear that Dimmesdale's deceit is a much more severe form of punishment than that faced by Hester. Hawthorne's theme of honesty is supported by the events that take place on the scaffold and the symbolism of the scaffold itself.
The scaffold's first use is as the site of Hester Prynne's public humiliation. As an adulterer, she could by law have been killed, or have "felt the brand of a hot iron" (44) on her forehead. The town leaders mercifully give her a lesser punishment. In Puritan society, harsh punishments for Old Testament crimes were meant to catch the attention of potential wrongdoers and were rarely carried out as written. Hester is required to stand for several hours on the scaffold under the disapproving gaze of the entire town in the "too vivid light of day" (46). This ordeal is incredibly painful for Hester, yet it also marks the beginning of many years of personal growth and ultimately her healing process. The punishment is meant as much to rehabilitate Hester as it is to humiliate her, as the scaffold is held to be "an agent in the promotion of good citizenship" (48). Certain social mores ran deep in Puritan society, and by enforcing these, the magistrates feel they are doing a service to everyone. Eradicating sin from the community took group effort, and the scaffold is the most prominent symbol of this belief in penitence and regrowth.
When Hester first fashions the scarlet letter has a meaning of adulterer. ... Hawthorne finds that the scarlet letter was wrapped up around a letter, after he drops it, written by a Surveyor detailing the whole affair of the scarlet letter. ... A letter "the letter A "but freshly green instead of scarlet.""... The Scarlet Letter. ... "The Scarlet Letter, Nathanial Hawthorne 1850."" ...
When Hester first fashions the scarlet letter has a meaning of adulterer. ... Hawthorne finds that the scarlet letter was wrapped up around a letter, after he drops it, written by a Surveyor detailing the whole affair of the scarlet letter. ... A letter "the letter A "but freshly green instead of scarlet.""... Then Hester notices the scarlet letter lying on the bank of the stream. ... The themes in The Scarlet Letter still have relevance to today's life....
In the book, "The Scarlet Letter," Nathaniel Hawthorne creates a character who is so loving, passionate, and mistreated that the reader cannot help but feel badly for her. ... She is reminded of her sin every day with her child, Pearl, and the scarlet letter. ... Throughout the story of "The Scarlet Letter," Hawthorne tips off the reader that Hester Prynne is destined for a downfall because her character is written a classic tragic heroine. ... It is evident that "Hester's story will not and cannot end happily" (Guy-A Critical Review of The Scarlet Letter-Website), because her tragedy is ...
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. ... Hester has already been discovered and is receiving her punishment by wearing the scarlet letter branding her as an adulteress and keeping her socially isolated. ... 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...
Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne embeds a variety of signs and symbols in the letter "A." The letter "A" has many positive and negative effects on Hester Prynne, the wearer of the scarlet letter. ... Pearl is the "the animate letter, the child dressed in gold-embroidered scarlet" and "the scarlet letter in another form, the scarlet letter endowed with life.... Pearl's attire of the same deep, scarlet color and its same stitching, very much alike Hester Prynne's own scarlet letter on her chest was another representation of the scarlet le...
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. ... 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. ... The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a story about sin and punishment. ...
The Scarlet Letter In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, he uses many symbols that tie into the character's lives. Hester has the scarlet letter as punishment of her sin. ... The scarlet letter becomes something known to Pearl. ... She becomes the living version of the scarlet letter. ... The scarlet letter has its two meanings for Hester. ...
A Dissection of the Various Insignias Present within Masterpieces of the Written Word and Film The Scarlet Letter, The Scarlet Letter (movie version), and Chocolat all contain a conspicuous amount of symbolism that is peppered throughout these works. ... The Scarlet Letter, being the inspiration for many of these later cinematic works, offers the most amount of symbolism. The Scarlet Letter offers four distinct symbols: the scarlet letter, the meteor, Pearl, and the rosebush next to the prison door. The scarlet letter is definitely the most pronounced symbol within this novel. ... The cin...
THEME The Scarlet Letter centers round the consequences of sin, especially shame and guilt. ... She also tells her mother that someday she will have her own scarlet letter. ... To Pearl, the scarlet letter is simply part of her mother. ... The significance of the scarlet letter in the life of Dimmesdale, whose guilt remains hidden, is suggested by a hidden scarlet letter on his heart. ... She still wears the scarlet letter, even though it is not expected. ...
The Scarlet Letter Part two: Formal Literary Response 1.a. Identify and describe both the time and place of The Scarlet Letter. ... In Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter Hester, the main character has to live with a scarlet letter on her bosom, which lets others know about her sin. ... Identify a major theme of The Scarlet Letter. ... Discuss how you feel about the novel, The Scarlet Letter. ...
