Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers

Symbolism is traditionally a sign or token of something. In the matterof books, the definition of the literary device, symbolism, ismore complicated. Symbols of literature are usually metaphysical. Themain symbol of The Scarlet Letter is the flushed "A" that Hester Prynne wassentenced to wear on her chest. Nathaniel Hawthornes intention was tomake the meaning of the ruddy token worn on the bosom of HesterPrynne is highly ambiguous. In this he was successful. Although the"A" means " fornicatress" to the people of Boston, to reader the "A" whitethornhave other meanings such as "American" or " open". To the townspeople,author, and reader clearly the original intention of the "A" was tostand for "adulteress". When Hester Prynne became pregnant during theabsence of her husband she was accused and convicted of adultery. Hersentence was to wear a scarlet letter "A" on her bosom to let everyone go to sleep that she w as an adulteress, forevermore. Because of her uniquesentence everyone knew that she was, in fact, an adulteress and peopletreated her that way. companionship condemned her for her sin, withoutknowing anything else. Hester was forced to live alone on theoutskirts of the city. She was a seamstress, moreover got very littlebusiness. When she used her skills to decorate the "A", things onlygot worse. pot felt that she was trying to show off the fact thatshe was an adulteress, or that she was tall to be. Hesters daughter,Pearl, was constantly ridiculed by other children for being an "evil","devil" child. all the way it was the first intention of the symbol toreve al that Hester Prynne was an adulteress. Although the firstintention of the "A" was to mark Hester Prynne as an adulteress, italso has other, more abstract meanings. The letter has a relation tothe word, "American". Hester Prynnes "A" reflects an "American"meaning in non-homogeneous ways. For one, America is a melting pot of umpteenpeoples and ideas, as was Hesters "A". She earned that "A" undercertain situations. She was in a unloving marriage. She had beenseparated from her husband for 2 years. She thought he might be at thebottom of the sea. She was in love with another man. She wasperceived and penalise under a strict Puritan eye. Like thedevelopment of America, the were many conditions that led to thedeveloped of Hesters "A". Another way that Hester Prynnes "A"symbolizes America, is that they were two shaped by past actions. Nomatter how Hester had changed, since her act of adultery, at any point