Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers

Symbolism is traditionally a sign or attribute of something. In the matterof literature, the definition of the literary device, symbolism, ismore complicated. Symbols of literature be usually metaphysical. Themain symbol of The Scarlet Letter is the red "A" that Hester Prynne wassentenced to wear on her chest. Nathaniel Hawthornes intention was tomake the meaning of the crimson nominal 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 referee the "A" may pay other meanings such as "the Statesn" or "able". To the townspeople,author, and reader clearly the original intention of the "A" was tostand for "adulteress". When Hester Prynne became great(predicate) during theabsence of her husband she was accused and convicted of adultery. Hersentence was to wear a reddish letter "A" on her bosom to let e realoneknow that she was an adulteress, forevermore. Because of her peculiarsentence everyone knew that she was, in fact, an adulteress and peopletreated her that way. Society condemned her for her sin, without penetrative everything 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 mat up that she was trying to show off the fact thatshe was an adulteress, or that she was proud to be. Hesters daughter,Pearl, was incessantly ridicu direct by other children for being an "evil","devil" child. Clearly it was the outset intention of the symbol toreve al that Hester Prynne was an adulteress. Although the firstintention of the "A" was to smiler Hester Prynne as an adulteress, italso has other, more abstract meanings. The letter has a comparison tothe word, "American". Hester Prynnes "A" reflects an "American& quotmeaning in various ways. For one, America is a melting pot of manypeoples and ideas, as was Hesters "A". She acquire that "A" chthoniancertain situations. She was in a loveless marriage. She had been disjunct 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 make by past actions. Nomatter how Hester had changed, since her act of adultery, at any point