Symbolism in the Scarlet Letter

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Symbolism in the Scarlet Letter How would you feel if your wife or husband cheated on you? In ‘The Scarlet Letter’ by Nathaniel Hawthorne, many effective symbols are used which give the reader a deeper understanding of the plot. There are good examples of symbolism in this book. The first example is the scarlet ‘A’. Hester Prynne became pregnant during the absence of her husband she was accused and convicted of adultery. Her sentence was to wear a scarlet letter "A" on her bosom to let everyone know that she committed adultery. Because of her unique sentence everyone knew that she was an adulteress and people treated her that way. Society condemned her for her sin, without knowing anything else. Hester was forced to live on the outskirts of the city. Nina Bayn said in her article, “The Scarlet Letter in The Scarlet Letter” that it has a wide variety of meanings. She said that it could stand for Dimmesdale’s first name, Arthur. She also said that it could stand for able, angel, artist, author, America, apple, and Anne, as in Anne Hutchinson. The townspeople started to form a different meaning for the scarlet letter: ability. In the thirteenth chapter, Hawthorne states, "The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, so much power to do, and power to sympathize, that many people Robinson 2 refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength. (134)" Pearl is another example of symbolism. Pearl is the daughter of Hester Prynne. Pearl James wrote an article named “An overview of The Scarlet Letter.” She said that Pearl “is more of a symbol than a character” (4). She is the sin but a blessing to her mother. Pearl can bring the good side out in Hester. Pearl’s name means “being of great price”, stated by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Ever since
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