Yellow, or gold, is an archetype that in a room is commonly the first color to be noticed. The gold around the red letter draws the attention of the public towards her scarlet letter, thus drawing attention to her sins. This shows her truth cannot be kept a secret. Lastly, as the novel is coming to a close, the narrator is describing the burial place and headstone of Hester Prynne. He describes that upon the tombstone, there appears to be a coat of arms that has inscribed on it, “On a field, sable, the letter A, gules.” Red is used to represent sin or passion.
It felt to Hester as though the red cloth emanated a “burning heat; and as if the letter were not of red cloth, but red-hot iron” (30). As beautiful and as ornately designed as the letter was, it was created as a symbol of shame to be worn by Hester and to be seen and condemned by everyone in the town. Hawthorne’s decision for the letter to be red can be seen as symbolic, as the color can represent the pain that Hester has with the situation. It can also be seen as the death of her innocence as she is judged by society. Later in the novel the color red is used to describe Pearl, called a “scarlet vision” by the narrator (101).
Pearl is the product of Hester’s sin. “Her mother, in contriving the child’s garb, had allowed the gorgeous tendencies of her imagination their full play; arraying her in a crimson velvet tunic, of a peculiar cut, abundantly embroidered with fantasies and flourishes of gold thread. So much strength of coloring, which must have given a wan and pallid aspect to cheeks of a fainter bloom, was admirably adapted to Pearl’s beauty, and made her the very brightest little jet of flame that ever danced upon earth” (Hawthorne 69). Pearl is as well called the names “Ruby,” “Coral,” or “red Rose,” and “a little bird of scarlet plumage,” further extending Pearl as a red representation of Hester’s sin. Pearl is the scarlet letter in another form because without Pearl, Hester would have never had to wear the scarlet letter and she wouldn’t have been humiliated and taunted therefore causing her to lead a better life.
John Proctor and Hester Prynne both committed adultery. Hester had committed adultery with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester’s real husband, Roger Chillingworth, was not in America at the time. When he did arrive, he was in disguise (Hawthorne 67). Throughout the story you can tell that Hester never truly loved Roger Chillingworth.
Why did Hester name her child Pearl? “…she names the infant ‘Pearl,’ as being of great price, -- purchased with all she had, -- her mother’s only treasure!” 2. What does the Scarlet Letter mean to Pearl? At this point, the A is a fascination. As a baby, Pearl seems instinctively drawn the A. Symbolically, this suggests a connection between the baby and the A as they are born from the same sin, but some may speculate that the decorative nature of the letter during a time period of particularly bland dress would draw one’s attention.
Characterization-Dimmesdale If thou feelest it to be for thy soul's peace, and that thy earthly punishment will thereby be made more effectual to salvation, I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and fellow-sufferer! (pg20) | It is saying she should confess to who the father is so they can give him a punishment as well and not just her. | “she will not speak!” (pg21) | Dimmesdale is sticking up for Hester. | …”thou knowest that I was frank with thee. I felt no love, nor feigned any.” (pg27) | Hester is saying how she doesn’t have feelings or felt any feelings for Dimmedale.
Marc Gary MS Clarke AP English April 3, 2012 THE SCARLET LETTER The scarlet letter was published by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850. The story took place in a puritan village of Boston, Massachusetts. The main character Hester has committed adultery and is punished for it. Adultery is a major sin in their society, which sin is also the theme of the book. She becomes the outcast in the town after having to wear the letter “A” on her chest as her punishment.
Also, just like how the symbolism of adultery is accompanied by shame, the symbolism of able is accompanied by strength. Hester Prynne’s scarlet letter is intended to be a device to bring shame and humiliation into her life because of her sin. Originally made to represent adultery, the scarlet letter adopts other meanings. The scarlet letter starts off to symbolize adultery and shame, then it transforms to represent angel, and finally it adapts to symbolize able and strength. Like the scarlet letter, Hester transforms as well.
The reason why Mathilde Loisel character is important to the theme of story is because she strengthens the theme of the story. We can see through her life what might happen when you live in a fantasy. She had a modest life with no worries or hardships and sacrificed all that security to experience one night of pleasure, excitement, and fun. At the beginning of the story Madam Mathilde Loisel was craving a life of luxury, a life that she felt that she rightfully deserved. Her current modest life was unbearable and she felt that it was mistake that she was “born, as if by an error of destiny, into a family of clerks and copyists (Howe 250).
Abigail Williams worked for the Proctor’s for some time and was fired by Elizabeth because of suspicions of John committing adultery with Abigail. In the trial John admits to this to try and save his