Free College Essays - Symbolism in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Scarlet garner Symbolism The book The Scarlet Letter is all about symbolism. great deal and objects are symbolic of events and thoughts. Throughout the course of the book, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Hester, Pearl, and Arthur Dimmesdale to signify Puritanic and amorous philosophies. Hester Prynne, through the eyes of the Puritans, is an extreme sinner she has g cardinal against the Puritan ways, committing adultery. For this irrevocably harsh sin, she must wear a symbol of shame for the succour of her life. However, the Romantic philosophies of Hawthorne put down the Puritanic beliefs. She is a beautiful, young cleaning lady who has sinned, but is forgiven. Hawthorne portrays Hester as divine maternity and she can do no wrong. Not only Hester, but the physical scarlet letter, a puritanical sign of disownment, is shown through the authors tone and diction as a beautiful, grand and colorful piece. Pearl, Hesters child, is portrayed Puritanically, a s a child of sin who should be treated as such, ugly, black, and shamed. The reader more evidently notices that Hawthorne carefully, and sometimes not subtly at all, places Pearl above the rest. She wears colorful clothes, is extremely smart, pretty, and nice. more than often than not, she shows her intelligence and free thought, a trait of the Romantics. One of Pearls ducky activities is playing with flowers and trees. (The reader will recall that anything affiliated with the forest was evil to Puritans. To Hawthorne, however, the forest was beautiful and natural.) And she was gentler here the forest than in the grassy-margined streets of the settlement, or in her mothers cottage. The flowers appeared to have it off it (194) Pearl fit in with natural things. Also, Pearl is always sparkly and joyous, which is definitely a negative to the Puritans. Pearl is a virtual shouting match between the Puritanical views and the Romantic ways. To most, b ut especially the Puritans, one of the most important members of a community is the religious leader Arthur Dimmesdale is no exception.