How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use A Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter

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Imagine that a woman is walking down the street, walking towards the woman are three males. Each male has a different opinion of her, one loathes her, the other appreciates her, and the final male hails her. Similarly, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism in his novel, The Scarlet Letter, to express the complexity of the scarlet letter itself. Unlike the Puritans, who interpret things in only one way, the author allows several different interpretations of the scarlet letter.
After her husband, Chillingworth, left her in Boston for several years, Hester Prynne found solace in the arms of another man. To the citizens of Boston, committing adultery was punishable by death; however, the authorities, believing her husband dead, showed mercy towards …show more content…

She does not let the scarlet letter mandate her life, instead, she embraces it. “That SCARLET LETTER, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom. It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and enclosing her in a sphere by herself” (pg 46). As part of her punishment, Hester stitches together her own letter A. Contrary to the gloomy, dark attire worn by the Puritans, Hester “fantastically” embroiders the letter. By doing so, she reveals herself to the town as dignified and graceful. Hester rejects the original purpose of the scarlet letter; humiliation and punishment. By doing so, she refuses to conform to the Puritans’ judgment. Psychologists today believe the effect of public shame is insignificant to those who never obeyed society’s rules in the first place. In fact, Jane Bybee, Ph.D., has concluded that public shame has a great potential to make matters worse. (Russell 102). In Hester’s case, the scarlet letter did not change who she was, instead, she remained the passionate individual Hawthorne created her to be. This passion is evident in her simple actions, such as her

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