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In the book Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, symbolism follows most of the characters. Hester’s adultery haunted her everywhere affecting her life and the lives of Pearl and Dimmesdale. The symbolism of the rosebush, night and day, and meteor never lets Hester forget her sin.
In the beginning of the book, the prison shows how miserable life is in the society. Sinners are condemned to the fullest and have absolutely no sympathy from their companions. They are trapped in their faults forever without the pardon of anyone. Fortunately, right outside the prison is a beautiful rosebush. This rosebush represents hope for these sinners. Even though they are frowned upon by the loyal puritans, they are forgiven by nature. They have the hope that one day they will be forgiven even if it is not by the people.
The shifts in light and darkness are reflected throughout the lives of these characters. The light represents truth and innocence while the darkness stands for secrets. When Hester stands pregnant on the scaffold for the first time, it was around noon time. This was so everyone could see the sin she committed and it was open to the whole society. Dimmesdale’s confession on the third scaffold of his paternity to Pearl was also in the daytime. These two occasions signify the truth in front of the Puritan people. Pearl brings the whole concept of innocence to the light. Although everyone else sees her as the “demon child” she has that constant light shine over her. This shows that even if the society didn’t approve of her birth, she was still a daughter in the eyes of the higher power, God or nature.
The meteor with the shape of the letter A created controversy for the meaning. The society believed it stood for “angel” reflecting the death of Governor Winthrop. On the contrary it could signify the reminder of Hester’s adultery shining over the darken sky. It was also this very night that Dimmesdale stood for the first time with Hester and...