Elements of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter

Elements of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter

200 Words of Teacher’s Praise and Comments Nathaniel Hawthorne uses several literary devices to give his novel The Scarlet Letter depth. One of these devices is symbolism. Hawthorne utilizes symbolism to convey certain points or themes to the reader by using ordinary objects. Three of the elements he uses as symbols are the settings of the Puritan town and the forest and weather.

The first of the two main settings is the Puritan town that includes the prison and the scaffold. The Puritan law is based on their religion. The town maintains a sense of strict moral values and disciplinary measures in accordance with the Puritan religion. Therefore, the town stands for lawfulness and purity. It serves as a contrast to Hester Prynne’s scarlet letter. The prison that the city was built around serves as a symbol as well. It represents guilt and the human tendency to sin, and it also symbolizes penance. Hester is forced to spend time in jail for committing the sin of adultery, and it is the starting point of Hester’s trek of shame to the scaffold in the market place. The scaffold itself is another symbol Hawthorne uses. Like the prison, it also symbolizes sin and guilt. “The very ideal of ignominy was embodied and made manifest in this contrivance of wood and iron” (60). It provides the setting of several important scenes in the novel. It is where Hester is forced to stand for three hours as punishment, where Dimmesdale, Pearl, and Hester stand in the night, and where Dimmesdale reveals himself and dies. It is also a symbol of truth because Dimmesdale’s great revelation occurred there.

The second setting is the forest just outside of the town. It proves to be a kind of dramatic foil to the idealistic Puritan society. The Puritans maintain a community that thrives on purity and lack of sin. The forest, on the other hand, is a symbol of lawlessness and desecration. It is shrouded in mystery and retains a dark and foreboding air. The Puritans abhor the forest because it stands as a perfect example of evil. However, the witches that live in the town view it very differently. They appreciate the anonymity the forest provides them. Thus they are free to pay homage to the Black Man in secret. Their presence reiterates the fact that the forest is a symbol of darkness.