Essay On The Black Man In The Scarlet Letter

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Symbolizing the Black Man
Different characters or important items can be used to depict separate moods or situations that go on in the story. The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, uses the name, the Black Man, to represent the Devil in his evil and dark ways. Hawthorne explains in his novel, through Pearl, that the Black Man lives in the forest at the end of town. The Black Man would “ask people that meet him walking through the forest to sign their name in his book and would sign their name in their own blood and would have his mark on their chest” (Hawthorne 167). The Black Man is mentioned throughout the book, but mostly at the end.
The Black Man is represented as the Devil in the book. The Devil is a symbol of evil and hatred. He likes to take over our bodies and tempt us to sin and not follow God’s works. “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his Native Language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (New International Version, John 8:44). The Scarlet Letter introduces many other characteristics about the Black Man.
The Black Man is viewed as an evil presence that haunts the forest. He is in comparison to the Devil because they both tempt people that believe in a religion to sin and do their evil works. In other words, …show more content…

They are compared to each other in many similar ways. Nathaniel Hawthorne gave a lot of detail about him. Even though what the townspeople said was rather true about giving his symbol to whoever signs his book, the Black Man is still a vital, and evil, part of The Scarlet Letter.

Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam Dell, February 2003. Print.
NIV Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012.

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