Hester, Reverend Dimmesdale, and Pearl of Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter

756 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What did hester and dimmesdale do in the scarlet letter

Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl of The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a Romantic novel set in Colonial Boston. The main character, Hester, wears a scarlet letter "A" as a symbol of adultery, but she refuses to identify the partner in her crime. Hawthorne uses many symbols in his novel to discuss the effects of this refusal. Three symbols in the novel are Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl.

One symbol in the novel is Hester. A symbol is a person or thing that indirectly represents an object or idea. Hester symbolizes strength. By remaining in Boston, she accepts her punishment. This shows great strength because she could have easily left Boston in search of a new life, one in which no one knew her. Instead, Hester continues her life in Boston, serving as a mid-wife and sewing for the same people who had condemned her. This shows strength by her acceptance of her fate and her willingness to persevere in this community - the place of her sin. Hester faces torment and social isolation daily. She must live alone and have no adult communication. The townspeople are afraid to talk to her and refuse to include her. This solitary confinement is tormenting because all human beings need interaction with other human beings. Yet, because of her inner strength, she accepts it and goes on with her life. A second example of her strength is her refusal to reveal the identity of Pearl's father; she chooses to endure her punishment alone. This shows her strength because she must bear the burden for two people. Having to be punished and watching some...

... middle of paper ...

...e is the only major character in the novel that does not know what the A really means. She also provides reactions to situations in a straightforward manner without the bias present when dealing with adults. Many adults judge Hester according to past deeds or other things that have been force-fed to them for their entire lives. Pearl, on the other hand, reacts plainly and honestly. Pearl is perhaps the most interesting of all the characters in the novel. Pearl is another symbol in the novel.

Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl are three symbols in the novel. Hester is a symbol of strength, Dimmesdale is a symbol of weakness, and Pearl is more or less the personification of the A itself. Each symbol helps the reader better the author's basic message - the denunciation of hypocrisy.

Show More
Related

  • The Scarlett Letter: Compybols And Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter

    1319 Words  | 3 Pages

    First, Hester is a main symbol in the book and she is a symbol of sin, confession, shame, and repentance. The first two symbols Hester represents are shame and sin. She has committed adultery and was forced to stand on the scaffold for public humiliation. She has to wear the scarlet letter ‘A’. The scarlet letter ‘A’ stands for adultery and is a symbol of shame. Hester is forced to wear this so she will always be reminded of the sin she has committed and so everyone knows that she has committed adultery. Although Hester has to wear the scarlet letter, she is a very strong, independent woman even without a male influence in her life. Hester is also a symbol of strength because she has to hold all of the shame and punishment in the sin that her and Reverend Dimmesdale committed. On Election Day Reverend Dimmesdale gives his sermon and people say it is the most powerful speech he has ever given. They think that

    Read More

  • Metamorphosis of the Letter A in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    796 Words  | 2 Pages

    Six Works Cited     In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, the meaning of the letter "A" changes throughout the novel.  This change is significant as it indicates the personal growth of the characters as well as the enlightenment of the townspeople. When the novel begins, the letter "A" is a symbol of sin. As the story progresses the “A” slowly transforms to a symbol of Hester’s strength and ability.  By the end of the novel, the letter “A” has undergone a complete metamorphisis and represents the respect that Hester has for herself.

    Read More

  • Pearl as a Symbol in The Scarlet Letter

    372 Words  | 1 Pages

    Initially Pearl is the symbol of Hesters public punishment for her adultery. As the novel progresses and Pearl matures she symbolizes the deteriation of Hester's like by constantly asking her about the scarlet letter "A". Pearl in a sense wants her mother to live up to her sin and, she achieves this by constantly asking her about the scarlet letter. Another peice of evidence that shows how Pearl symbolizes the sin Hester has committed, is when the town government wants to take Pearl away from her Revrend Dimmsdale convinces the government that Pearl is a living reminder of her sin. This is essentialy true, Hester without Pearl is like having Hester without sin.

    Read More

  • Hawthornes Use of Pearl as Symbolism in The Scarlett Letter

    873 Words  | 2 Pages

    Pearl’s ever-changing moods and temperaments secure her as Hawthorne’s most prominent symbol in The Scarlet Letter. Pearl, the impish girlish creature, symbolizes many elements in Hawthorne’s book. Hester’s love for Pearl is never misplaced in the tale, but the reader gains a sense of contempt. Hester believes that without Pearl, she would not have survived the seven long years of exile from the Puritan society. Her daughter’s varying personality traits brings about a sense of joy and a change in her monotonous life.

    Read More

  • Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter

    719 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “ The Scarlet Letter’’ is a classical story about sin, punishment and revenge. It all began with a young woman named Hester Prynne who has committed adultery, and gave birth to a child in a Puritan society. Through the eyes of the puritans Hester has gone against their religious ways. Hester must now wear the symbol of the letter “A” on her clothing for the rest of her life as act of shame. Hester Prynne faces a long journey ahead and her strength enables her to continue on.

    Read More

  • Influenza Virus' Economic and Social Disruption to Society

    837 Words  | 2 Pages

    CDC (2007, 02) Community strategy for pandemic influenza mitigation in the United States Retrieved from http://www.flu.gov/planning-preparedness/community/community_mitigation.pdf

    Read More

  • The Importance of Pearl in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    1820 Words  | 4 Pages

    Because of Pearl's banishment from Puritan society she was thrown to another way of life and her wildness and peculiarity is a direct product of her banishment. Her character acts as a mysterious and interesting symbol in The Scarlet Letter. Pearl is an important character, as she is a constant reminder to Hester, as well as to the reader, of the sin of Hester. She contributes largely to the themes of the novel through her unusual history. The one character that seems to play the most uninvolved role in the novel is one of the most forceful symbols and individual throughout.

    Read More

  • The Origins of the Spanish Flu of 1918

    1906 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Flu Studies Point to Isolation for Prevention." Morning Edition 3 Apr. 2007. World History in Context. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

    Read More

  • Nursing Leadership Analysis

    969 Words  | 2 Pages

    Leadership at times can be a complex topic to delve into and may appear to be a simple and graspable concept for a certain few. Leadership skills are not simply acquired through position, seniority, pay scale, or the amount of titles an individual holds but is a characteristic acquired or is an innate trait for the fortunate few who possess it. Leadership can be misconstrued with management; a manager “manages” the daily operations of a company’s work while a leader envisions, influences, and empowers the individuals around them.

    Read More

  • National Influenza Immunization Program - The Swine Flu of 1976

    4052 Words  | 9 Pages

    While influenza, or the "flu", is not commonly recognized as an extremely lethal disease, the pathology of influenza, and especially of the kind found at Fort Dix, does suggest that an immunization program was a reasonable course to take in 1976. In the public's mind, influenza is often not seen as a specific disease, using interchangeable names for it like "flu", "gripe", and "virus". (Silverstein: 1) However, influenza is very different from an everyday low fever or "stomach flu". It is a respiratory infection, connected with a fever, coughing, and muscle aches, which often la...

    Read More

  • Avian Influenza and Its Expected Ramifications

    2754 Words  | 6 Pages

    Over the past fifteen years H5N1 influenza (also known as Avian Flu or Bird Flu) has become a common topic of speculation and debate worldwide, causing quite a bit of confusion about its possible impacts on our society. At this point in time it is generally recognized by the international medical community that Avian Flu is bound to become a pandemic, most likely within the next ten years. Research on Avian Flu and its effects have led many scholars to make grave predictions of major global turmoil while a small portion of medical scientists remain skeptical, believing we will have enough time to thoroughly prepare for the outbreak. The one thing that nearly all health professionals seem to agree upon is that the avian flu will surely have a large impact on the development of humankind. To truly understand the threat of this disease and what we must do to prepare for it, we need to look at the issue from multiple angles and consider what the spread of a disease so lethal and so prone to mutation would mean for our daily lives, health professionals, laws and government procedures, and of course the continuation of the human race.

    Read More

  • Difference Between Leadership And Situational Leadership

    1420 Words  | 3 Pages

    The phrase “leader” versus “manager.” is used to show and compere how Leading is related to managing, Bennis and Nanus (1985:21) help us understand the broader role of supervision in their discussion of management and leadership: “To be a manager is to bring about, to accomplish, to have charge of, responsibility for, to conduct. Leading, on the other hand, is influencing, guiding in direction, course, action, opinion.” They go on to say that managers are people who “do things right,” and leaders are people who “do the right things.” Managers are more efficiency driven and focus on mastering routine activities, while leaders are driven by vision and judgment. Managers tend to be bean counters, while leaders focus on achieving desired results.

    Read More

  • Management vs. Leadership

    1100 Words  | 3 Pages

    Presently many of us have learned that managers are primarily administrators who have learned to write business plans, utilize their resources and keep track of progress. We must learn that we are not limited by job title, and that means we can utilize our management skills in any position that we are in. We must also know that we can use our leadership skills in the same situations. On the other hand we have also learned that leaders are people who have an impact on those that surround them. The main difference that separates these two roles is that management is a function that must be utilized in any type of business, and leadership is the relationship that the leader has with his followers, which in turn can motivate and energize the organization.

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Scarlet Letter is a blend of realism, symbolism, and allegory. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses historical settings for this fictional novel and even gives historical background information for the inspiration of the story of Hester Prynne in the introduction of The Scarlet Letter, ‘The Custom-House’. The psychological exploration of the characters and the author’s use of realistic dialogue only add to the realism of the novel. The most obvious symbol of the novel is the actual scarlet letter ‘A’ that Hester wears on her chest every day, but Hawthorne also uses Hester’s daughter Pearl and their surroundings as symbols as well. Allegory is present as well in The Scarlet Letter and is created through the character types of several characters in the novel.

    Read More

  • Leadership Theory

    1819 Words  | 4 Pages

    Leadership and management are two words that are commonly mistaken; the relation and the differences between them are often unclear. Leadership can be defined as „the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or a set of goals." Managers are there to plan, organize, lead and monitor employees' activities. Leaders also have to be able to guide an organization through change. As we will see later, vision is a crucial component in the success of this task.

    Read More

More about Hester, Reverend Dimmesdale, and Pearl of Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter

Open Document