Symbols and Symbolism in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter...

Thesis Statement and Outline Thesis Statement: Nathaniel Hawthorne used symbolism to bring meaning into his book The Scarlet Letter. I. Symbolism A. Definition B. Style II. Symbolism in characters A. Hester B. Dimmesdale C. Chillingworth D. Pearl III. Symbolism in objects A. The scarlet letter B. The scaffold C. The forest D. The brook IV. Symbolic relations between characters and objects A. Characters and the scarlet letter B. Characters and the scaffold C. Pearl and the forest Nathaniel Hawthorne used symbolism to bring meaning into his book The Scarlet Letter. Generally speaking, a symbol is something that is used to stand for something else. In literature, it is most often a†¦show more content†¦He is at liberty to manipulate his materials, to shape them freely into meaningful patterns, so long as he does not violate the truth of the human heart ( Waggoner p. 69 ) . It is in the four major characters that Hawthornes powers as a symbolist are brought into fullest play. Each of his major characters symbolizes a certain view of sin and its effects on the human heart ( Dibble p. 80 ) . Hester Prynne is warm, alive, human - so much so that it is difficult to determine just where Hawthornes sympathies lie. She is a queenly figure who may have gotten her name from the biblical Esther. Queen Esther is a woman of courage, beauty, dignity, selflessness. Hester Prynne has all these qualities ( Bloom, p. 121 ) . She seems a virtual saint, a woman who walks in humility and patience but to others she is an unbending woman of pride, who glories in her sin. This glorifying of her sin is expressed the symbol she is forced to wear. Hester practices the art of symbolic overlay by which her community gives meaning and distinction to experience, and she suffers from the symbolism that she herself purveys ( Bloom, p. 130). After several years Hester, the woman taken in adultery, rises to saintliness as she becomes an angel of mercy to the community but her dreams of a new order of society can find no expression in her life and resignation is all she has to take the placeShow MoreRelated Power of Symbols and Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter1833 Words   |  8 PagesThe Power of the Symbol in The Scarlet Letter All classic literature uses symbolism in one way or another. Nathaniel Hawthornes Scarlet Letter is no different. The very basis of every character, their personal appearance and way they act revolves around one thing, the Scarlet Letter. The scarlet letter is an A, in crimson fabric, worn by a Puritan woman for her act of adultery. 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In the following essay, I will explore Hawthornes symbolism of Pearl from birth, ageRead MoreSymbolism Of Forest And The Scarlet Letter1051 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism of Forest’s Aspects in Relation to the scarlet l`etter A In the Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne discusses the hurdles Hester Prynne, the protagonist, goes through due to her sinful nature with her child, the mocking Puritans, and the past always creeping up on her. Often these obstacles appear when she is in the forest, making it a very critical locality in the book. Nathaniel Hawthorne brilliantly uses symbolism to convey how the three main aspects of the forest—the stream, the logs