Theme Development Through Symbolism

Authors’ incorporation of symbolism in their writing not only helps convey ideas and concepts without stating them explicitly, but it also significantly contributes to the theme. Through the medium of a symbol, whose physical characteristics closely relate to those of its corresponding meaning, authors allow their work to reach much greater literary depths; symbolism gives the reader the opportunity to analyze the implicit and more significant meaning behind what is unequivocally written. To achieve the same effect, Nathaniel Hawthorne provides various examples of effective symbolism in his novel, The Scarlet Letter, especially in the form of the scaffold. The novel’s protagonist, Hester Prynne, has an adulterous affair with the minister of the community, Reverend Dimmesdale, while her husband’s whereabouts are unknown. During that time period, Hester has a daughter, providing solid evidence of her extramarital affair to her community. She is therefore punished to stand for three hours on the scaffold, and to wear a scarlet A, which stands for adultery, on her dress for the rest of her life. The scaffold on which Hester must stand for public humiliation holds special significance throughout the duration of the novel. It also becomes the setting of Dimmesdale’s extreme guilt and his eventual courage in confessing his sin. Hence, Hawthorne effectively transitions the symbolism of the scaffold from humiliation to cowardice to courage, so that it parallels the novel’s themes of isolation, human weakness, and sin.

To begin, the scaffold initially symbolizes public humiliation and isolation from one’s community. Destroying the criminal’s social life, the scaffold leaves an irreparable damage on the criminal’s identity; in the eyes of hi...

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... frailty, and guilt, in his novel The Scarlet Letter. He does so to both communicate profound concepts, such as revenge and sin, as well as to develop the various themes of the novel. The scaffold initially imposes humiliation to the criminal, and separates him socially from society. But Dimmesdale’s night on the scaffold changes the symbol’s meaning to cowardice and extreme guilt, since he is unable to bring himself confess. Finally, Dimmesdale confesses, and his strength signifies his ability to overcome his past weakness. Hence, through symbols alone, Hawthorne has developed theme as much through symbolism as plot.

Works Cited

Gatta, John. “The Apocalyptic End of the Scarlet Letter.” Texas Studies in Literature and Language. 32.4 (1990): 506-521. JSTOR. Web. 14 November 2013.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Dover Publications, 1994. Print.