Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers

Symbolism is traditionally a sign or token of something. In the matterof literature, the definition of the literary device, symbolism, ismore complicated. Symbols of literature are usually metaphysical. Themain symbol of The Scarlet Letter is the red "A" that Hester Prynne was condemnd to wear on her chest. Nathaniel Hawthornes intention was tomake the kernel of the crimson token worn on the bosom of HesterPrynne is highly ambiguous. In this he was successful. Although the"A" means "adulteress" to the people of Boston, to reader the "A" mayhave other meanings such as "American" or "able". To the townspeople,author, and reader clearly the original intention of the "A" was tostand for "adulteress". When Hester Prynne became significant during theabsence of her husband she was acc employ and convicted of adultery. Hersentence was to wear a scarlet letter "A" on her bosom to let everyoneknow that she was an adult eress, forevermore. Because of her uniquesentence everyone knew that she was, in fact, an adulteress and peopletreated her that way. Society condemned her for her sin, withoutknowing anything else. Hester was forced to live alone on theoutskirts of the city. She was a seamstress, but got very littlebusiness. When she used her skills to decorate the "A", things onlygot worse. People felt that she was trying to show off the fact thatshe was an adulteress, or that she was proud to be. Hesters daughter,Pearl, was constantly ridicu lead by other children for beingness an "evil","devil" child. Clearly 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 snatch meanings. The letter has a relation tothe word, "American". Hester Prynnes "A" reflects an "American"meaning in various ways. For one, America is a melting pot of manypeoples and ideas, as was Hesters "A". She earned that "A" undercertain situations. She was in a loveless 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 punished 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 both shaped by past actions. Nomatter how Hester had changed, since her act of adultery, at any render