Allusions In Scarlet Letter

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Recommended: Themes in the scarlet letter

Brianna Whaley
Honors Am Lit p.4
21 September 2015

Hester at Her Needle


In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s book, The Scarlet Letter, chapter 5 "Hester at Her Needle," Hawthorne uses torturous, diction and allusion to emphasize the torture that society creates. In this passage, Hawthorne really sympathizes Hester and shows that she’s independent and she can take care of her daughter, Pearl by herself, without the community and society taking her away from Hester.
Hawthorne's use of painful, hateful words suggest that the scarlet letter is being forced onto Hester. Hawthorne describes, "and grew pale whenever it struggled out of her heart, like a serpent from its hole". Hawthorne's use of the word "serpent" emphasizes the pain which is created

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