Roll no -23
Paper – 10
Topic
:- Symbolism in Scarlett Letter
Email id- rivapandya.rp@gmail.com
Year :-
2015-2017
Submitted to
:- M.K Bhavnagar university, Department of English
vIntroduction:
Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the most prolific symbolists in American
literature .He has a perfect atmosphere for the symbols in The Scarlett letter
because the puritans saw the world through allegory. for them simple patterns like meteor , streaking
through the sky became religious or moral interpretations for human events. He
represents various symbols in this novel and all symbols are important to
understand the novel.
Ø Symbolism in Scarlett letter:
§ The Scarlet Letter "A"
The Scarlett
letter is meant to be a symbol of shame, but instead it becomes a powerful
symbol of identify to Hester. And also symbolizes her adultery.It symbolizes
Hester's sin and shame.The letter 'A' is sewn into her clothing,she wears
it on her chest and literally marking
her as an adulterer.The letter's meaning shifts as time passes.originally
intended to mark Hester as an adulterer,the "A" eventually comes
to stand for Able. For Dimmesdale and
Hester, the scarlet letter stands for agony, which Hester displays in her isolated
life and which Dimmesdale displays in his deteriorating health. By the end of
the novel, the townspeople think that Hester's scarlet "A" stands for
Ability, for she has become a generous helper for the poor and downtrodden and
a wise counselor for their problems She takes ownership of that letter, which
makes it sort of a cool symbol for her identity. She's a marked woman, but
she's not going to take the punishment lying down.
The gesture
of Dimmesdale's placing his hand over his heart is also symbolic. It is the
minister's attempt to cover his mark of sinfulness and prevent his exposure. It
also suggests his nervous condition and reflects his grieved state.
§ Pearl
Pearl is
Hester's daughter, as well as a symbol for sin and redemption. There's a duality
in Pearl's existence, as she's a living reminder and symbol for Hester's
adultery, her sin.she represents not only sin but also the vital spirit and
passion that engendered that sin. she also represents Hester's blessing or hope
of redemption . As the novel progresses
and Pearl matures she symbolizes the deteriation of Hester's like by constantly
asking her about the scarlet letter "A". Pearl in a sense wants her
mother to live up to her sin and, she achieves this by constantly asking her about
the scarlet letter. Another peice of evidence that shows how Pearl symbolizes
the sin Hester has committed, is when the town government wants to take Pearl
away from her Revrend Dimmsdale convinces the government that Pearl is a living
reminder of her sin. This is essentialy true, Hester without Pearl is like
having Hester without sin.
thus pearls
existence gives her mother reason to live ,bolstering her spirits when she is
tempted to give up.It is only after Dimmesdale is revealed to be pearl's father
that pearl can become fully human.until then she functions in a capacity as the
reminder of an unsolved mystery.
§ The Scaffold
The scaffold
is a symbol of penitence and God's platform on the Day of Judgment. It is a
reflection of appearing before the Almighty in one's weakness. Because of the
comparison, Dimmesdale has great difficulty in standing on the platform and
confessing his sins. He first does it under the cover of darkness for no one to
see him, as if he were trying to hide from God himself. In the end, however, he
bravely stands on the scaffold and confesses his sin in the light of day and
before a crowd of people. The confession finally gives him a sense of peace.
§ The Prison
It is
made out of wooden and reflects the harsh weather conditions with stains on it
and subsequently attention shifts to the prison door.
The prison,
presented in the opening chapter of the novel, is a symbol of isolation and
alienation, foreshadowing the life that Hester will lead even after she leaves
its confines. While Hester lives in the prison of alienation, Dimmesdale lives
in the prison of his unconfessed guilt, and Chillingworth is imprisoned by his
vengeance. Pearl, alone, remains free.So the prison door symbolizes the oldest
heritage sinfulness of humanity and how it is a steady legacy from the ancient
times.The prison symbolizes a black stain of society on the civilization
§ The Rose Bush
The narrator
choose to begin his story with the image of the rosebush beside the prison
door.It symbolizes the nature to endure and outlast man's activities.It also
represents the futility of symbolic interpretation the narrator mentions
various insignificances that the rosebush might have never affirming or denying
them never privileging one over the others.
The rose
bush growing across from the prison respresents a constant reminder of
salvation and hope to all the prisoners. Later in the book Pearl states that
she was plucked from the rosebush and was born. This symbolizes that Pearl is
the key to not only Hester's salvation, but to Dimmesdale and indirectly to
Chillingsworth. Pearl was born into a world of sin and for her to be saved,
everyone must find their salvation through her. It represents a light in the
darkness of Hester's sin.
§ The Meteor
As
Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold with Hester and pearl ,a meteor traces out an
"A" in the night sky.To Dimmesdale the meteor implies that he should
wear a mark of shame just as Hester does. The meteor is interpreted differently
by the rest of the community which thinks that it stands for "Angel"
and marks Governor winthrop's entry into heaven .But Angel is an awkward
reading of the symbol .The puritans commonly looked to symbols to confirm
divine sentiments . In this narrative symbols are taken to mean what the
beholder wants them to mean .The incident with the meteor obviously highlights
and exemplifies two different uses of symbols puritan and literary.
§ The Forest
The forest
is symbolic of Nature, both in its darker and lighter aspects. When the rays of
sunshine fall on Pearl but do not reach Hester, they symbolize her inability to
find happiness or warmth. The pervading darkness is suggestive of the dull
gloom in her life. That darkness is dispelled when she meets with Dimmesdale
and plans to flee from Boston with him. As a symbol of her freedom, she throws
away the scarlet letter and undoes her hair. Appropriately, a flood of sunshine
illuminates the forest, dispelling the darkness.
§ Colors
Hawthorne
also gives symbolic meanings to the colors that he employs in the novel. The
dark, sober, sable garments that Hester wears represent her dull and gloomy
life filled with grief, guilt, and sorrow.
The color of the letter carries special
significance. It is red because that is the color associated with the devil,
and the Puritans believed that Hester's sin was a mark of Satan.while black
tends to signify hidden sins or the things that society doesn't want to face.
Since
Dimmesdale's sin is hidden while Hester's sin is visible to the entire
community, he is frequently embodied by blackness. He is burdened by 'the black
secret of his soul' .
At one
point, Hester talks with Chillingworth and refers to him as 'the Black man that
haunts the forest'Here, the black man does not only refer to Chillingworth, but
also Satan.Ironically, the innocent Pearl fashions a letter "A" to
wear herself, but she makes it out of seaweed that is bright green, the color
of life itself. Black is also used in the novel. Mistress Hibbins practices
black magic throughout the book, and many suspect Chillingworth of doing the
same.
Conclusion:
Nature also
plays a vital role in Scarlett letter.Every chapter in The Scarlet Letter has
symbols displayed through characterization, setting, colors, and light.
Hawthorne's ability to introduce these symbols and change them through the
context of his story is but one of the reasons The Scarlet Letter is considered
his masterpiece and a peerless example of the romance novel.
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