![]() Objects, such as the scaffold, were ritualistic symbols for such concepts as sin and penitence. For them, simple patterns, like the meteor streaking through the sky, became religious or moral interpretations for human events. Hawthorne has a perfect atmosphere for the symbols in The Scarlet Letter because the Puritans saw the world through allegory. Symbols can range from the most obvious substitution of one thing for another, to creations as massive, complex, and perplexing as Melville's white whale in Moby Dick.Īn allegory in literature is a story where characters, objects, and events have a hidden meaning and are used to present some universal lesson. In literature, a symbol is most often a concrete object used to represent an idea more abstract and broader in scope and meaning - often a moral, religious, or philosophical concept or value. Generally speaking, a symbol is something used to stand for something else. Even as she returns to the colony after starting a new life with Pearl in England, Prynne dons the scarlet letter with pride and is welcomed to the community as a figure of wisdom.Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the most prolific symbolists in American literature, and a study of his symbols is necessary to understanding his novels. The punishment that follows Prynne and Dimmesdale’s affair tests her self-reliance and conviction, but her control over the penance demonstrates that individuals, and especially women, have the ability to redeem themselves. ![]() It’s something unknown by the rigid townspeople, and therefore, condemned by them. The adultery Prynne commits, a sin of passion, results in her daughter Pearl becoming a symbol of this emotion. They said that it meant Able so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength.” Corresponding to her redefinition of stereotypical women’s work, through the course of the book, Prynne alters the meaning of the scarlet letter: “Many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. Her talent is so widely recognized that the community even begins to respect her work. Hawthorne even notes it might have been, ‘the passion of her life.’ The handiwork she applies to the scarlet “A” on her chest shines as an embodiment of her feminine power, rather than a token of shame. Prynne must support her family financially, so she turns her skill with needlework into her livelihood. She takes the accepted social models of women’s work and earns respect through them. In the domestic space, Prynne finds strength in her role as a single mother. Just as the physical unattractiveness of the townswomen parallels Hawthorne’s negative view of conformity, Prynne’s beauty and femininity illuminates the individuality admired by Romantic thought. ![]() Even as she stands on the scaffold for sinners, Prynne remains dignified and gracious. Hawthorne emphasizes her shining beauty among the dreary women in the town. Where order rules all, Prynne stands out on more counts than one. It’s a civilization that gives the single mother the death penalty for her adulterous, clandestine relationship with reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. The Puritan, witchcraft-condemning society of the early New England colony in which Prynne lives is structured by religion and law. ![]() Beyond the blazing scarlet “A” on Prynne’s chest, Hawthorne’s Romantic-era writing is rife with symbolism that celebrates the theme of individuality through Prynne’s own embracement of her femininity. The main character of Hawthorne’s novel, which was published on this day in 1850, may not be the obvious image of a heroic feminist, however, she successfully rebelled against the male dominated, Puritan social structure of the 17th century in which the book was set. Woven into Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale of adultery, betrayal, and love in the Scarlet Letter is a narrative of female empowerment exemplified by Hester Prynne.
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