Symbols In Scarlet Letter

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Authors use symbols to represent attributes of the real world in their writing. An example of this is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s use of the letter A in The Scarlet Letter as a symbol that represents shame, guilt, and hope. In the first few chapters of the book the scarlet letter resembles shame. The Puritan people see the letter A on Hester and immediately judge her and outcast her. The letter A represents adultery. In their time, any sin was blown up and put on a pedestal. In the novel, Hester had to stand on the scaffold for her sin. This was a disrespectful way to deal with her sin. By wearing the scarlet letter Hester feels guilty about what she did. Wearing it is a constant reminder of what she did. At this part of the novel, Hester is depressed

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