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Puritan values in the scarlet letter
Explain the novel the scarlet letter in puritan perceptions
Puritanism in Scarlet Letter
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Symbolism in the Scarlet Letter
Many authors use symbolism. Some authors for example are William Shakespeare and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Also, in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, he uses symbolism in the first chapter one he talks about a prison door. The prison door symbolises the Puritan community, at a door that's "heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes" (1.1). Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism in every chapter including chapters 1-8,9-16, and 17-24.
In more ways than one Nathaniel hawthorne uses symbolism a lot throughout chapters 1-8. In chapter one The Prison Door, the novel begins with Hester Prynne standing on a scaffold in front of a prison in Boston in the 1600s. Near a prison door, a rosebush was growing.
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In chapter two, The Marketplace, we learn that Hester is standing on the scaffold because she had committed adultery. she committed adultery she is forced to wear a letter A on her breast. Chapter Seven – The Governor’s Hall- In this chapter, Hester made Governor Bellingham a pair of gloves to see if she can keep pearl or will they take her away from hester? In Chapter Eight, The Elf-Child And The Minister Hester begs Dimmesdale to convince Wilson, Bellingham and Chillingworth that pearl needs to stay with her mother. Dimmesdale reminds the others that Pearl is both a blessing and a curse and that she will redeem her soul. Hawethorne uses symbolism in almost every chapter from chapters 1-8. Furthermore Hawthorne uses many symbolic objects in chapters 9-16 as well.
Chapter Thirteen – Another View Of Hester , several years have passed since pearl was born, Hester has changed in many ways. The village people no longer view the A as a symbol of adultery. They now believe it stands for “Able.” Hester begins to question aspects of her life such as her feelings about Pearl and her decision to keep Chillingworth’s identity a secret. And again in chapter fourteen, Hester And The Physician- Hester decides to tell Chillingworth to stop causing the minister pain. Here, we learn that Chillingworth knows that Dimmesdale was the man Hester had an affair with. Chillingworth becomes the epitome of evil in this chapter, and Hester begs him to no longer exact revenge on the minister. Chapter Fifteen – Hester And Pearl After the meeting with Chillingworth, Hester finds Pearl near the beach. Hester asks Pearl what she thinks the scarlet letter stands for and is surprised when Pearl makes a what it means.. Chapter Sixteen – A Forest Walk- In “A Forest Walk,” Hester and Pearl wait in the forest for Dimmesdale so that Hester can reveal Chillingworth’s secret identity to him. Pearl wonders if the man her mother is waiting for is the “Black Man” that she keeps hearing about, many believe that the “Black Man” is Satan. Hawthorne chose the man to be black because black is usually a symbol of death so it would only fit right if the man was
black. Many authors use symbolism. Some authors for example are William Shakespeare and Nathaniel Hawthorne. For example, in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, he uses symbolism in the first chapter one he talks about a prison door. The prison door symbolises the Puritan community, at a door that's "heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes" (1.1). Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism in every chapter including chapters 1-8, 9-16, and 17-24.
Why do authors use symbolism in their literature? Many authors use symbolism in their literature to create or to add deeper meaning in the context of the whole story. They often use objects, people, actions and words to symbolize a deeper understanding of their story and to develop their themes. They also use symbols to give clue/hints for the story in which they also develop their main characters. In the story, “It Had to be Murder” by Cornell Woolrich, the author uses symbolism to develop his story and to send a message with a deeper understanding of the story to his readers.
According to Google, symbolism in literature is defined as the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense. Symbolism can be seen throughout media and in many pieces of literature including To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. In the book, the symbol of the mockingbird represents the character Boo Radley, and how his story teaches people to not always believe what others have to say about someone without being able to prove it true for themselves.
Pearl is a symbol of Hester’s transgressions and even has similar qualities as the sin which she represents. Pearl’s life and behavior directly reflects the unacceptable and abnormal nature of Hester’s adulterous sin. Hester is plagued with more than just a letter “A”; she is given a child from her affair who is just as much a reminder of her sin as the scarlet letter. Ultimately Hester overcomes the shame associated the scarlet letter and creates a sense of family for herself and Pearl. This relationship is integral to the theme of this novel and the development of its characters.
Throughout his literary endeavors, Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes symbolism to present a certain theme that pertains to human nature and life. In his works, The Scarlet Letter and "The Minister's Black Veil", Hawthorne uses symbolism to present a common theme pertaining to religion; that though manifested sin will ostracize a person from society, un-confessed sin will destroy the soul.
Symbolism. Why is it important in a novel? Why do authors incorporate symbols into their writing? Symbolism aids the reader in understanding what the author wants to portray. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird, she writes about the racism in a small town in Alabama named Maycomb set in the 1930’s and about two children growing up and learning that their town is not as perfect as they thought. The theme topic appearance versus reality helps to get a better understanding of the symbols used in the novel and that you should not judge something by their appearance, you should judge by the reality of what it is. “As Atticus once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem’s skin and walk around in it.” (Scout page 77) In her novel, there are many symbols throughout the narrative that relate to the theme topic appearance versus reality. Harper Lee writes symbols into her novel, such as the snowman, Mrs. Dubose’s Camellia flower and Dolphus Raymond’s Coca-Cola bottle to help reinforce the theme topic of appearance versus reality throughout the novel.
“Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used by the author to represent abstract ideas or concepts.” Symbolism in literature is the depth and hidden meaning in any piece of work. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a powerful and evocative novel laced with symbolism. The most obvious is the symbol of the scarlet letter itself, representing Hester’s sin of adultery. Hawthorne’s other symbols are less obvious and are very often obscured in the novel.
(Elbert, 258). One may refer back to the scene at the beginning when Reverend Wilson is trying to get the name of the other sinner. As Hester refuses, one may see this as a foreshadowing of other events. Hester is a strong woman who would not tell a soul the secrets that interconnect Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. The secrets however begin to take a toll on Hester especially as Chillingworth comes to town and is dying to know who the father of Pearl is.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's bold novel, The Scarlet Letter, effectively employs three major symbols: light, dark, and the scarlet letter. The novel relies heavily on light and dark symbolism to represent the eternal struggle of good versus evil.
The deep symbolism conveyed by certain aspects of nature helps the reader gain a deeper understanding of the plight and inner emotions of the characters in the novel. Hawthorne's moods or prevailing feelings during certain scenes are revealed to the reader through nature. For example, one of the first scenes in the book demonstrates this unique writing talent that Hawthorne uses to enrich his writing. He describes Hester Prynne and her child being released from the local prison into the light of day. She bore in her arms a child, a baby of some three months old, who winked and turned aside its little face from the vivid light of day; because its experience, heretofore, had brought it acquainted only with the gray twilight of a dungeon, or other darksome apartment of the prison (49).
A symbol is an object used to stand for something else. Symbolism has a hidden meaning lying within it; these meanings unite to form a more detailed theme. Symbolism is widely used in The Scarlet Letter to help the reader better understand the deep meanings Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays throughout his novel. He shows that sin, known or unknown to the community, isolates a person from their community and from God. Hawthorne also shows this by symbols in nature around the town, natural symbols in the heavens, and nature in the forest.
Often in novels writers use symbolism as a device to make their themes and ideas come across clearly to the reader. In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many forms of symbolism. People and objects are symbolic of events and thoughts of hawthorn throughout the course of the book. The Scarlet letter itself is a symbol he uses to contradict the puritanical society of the story. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Pearl both as a symbol in the novel, and to work on the consciences of Hester and Dimmesdale.
In almost every story, one can find symbolism throughout the text to help the reader better understand what the writer wants the reader to takeout from his/her story. Symbolism is something that must be analyzed and explored to experience a deeper meaning to the story. Sometimes, symbolism throughout a story may not be noticeable when first read, but going back to analyze the text can add a deeper meaning to words and can also help to enhance the meaning behind the story line. In some instances, symbolism can leave a reader to ponder what the writer is trying to express with the symbolism used in the story; for symbolism can be interpreted differently and can have many layers of meaning to it. Some good examples of short stories that use symbolism
Many authors and poets uses symbolism to express emotion and sections throughout the text. Symbols is a great literary device that can help give messages to the reader without the author being too direct. In the story, “Barns Burning” by William Faulkner, Symbolism helps analysis different emotions and meaning throughout the story.
In Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter, there is a broad array of symbolism throughout the entire book. The purpose of using symbolism versus writing out the meaning making an extraordinarily boring and bland book is that it makes the reader have to think more and delve into the deeper meaning of things. Hawthorne also uses symbolism to convey a much deeper mental image of his words to the audience. He uses an vast array of colors, unique characters and grave sin to portray an deeper unconvoluted meaning to the audience; also, by using symbolism, Hawthorne manages to broaden the knowledge and imaginary context of The Scarlet Letter to allow people relate to the novel through the scarlet letter.
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.