Hawthorne s Use Of Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter
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Hawthorne's Use Of Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter
Symbolism is a tool used by great writers to subtly show their point of view. Hawthorne used this method to reveal the hearts of the four main characters in his book The Scarlet Letter. The letters associated with each character reveal what the person is like inside, what their heart is like. Each person has a different letter "A" which is used to symbolize the qualities of their hearts.
Hester Prynne's letter A is beautiful and made of red cloth and embroidered with gold thread. Hawthorne describes her letter - "It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore, and which was of a splendor in accordance with the taste of the age, but greatly beyond what was allowed by the
sumptuary regulations of the colony." (48). Hester's letter is bright and colorful, unlike the custom of the Puritan colony. Her letter symbolizes the qualities of her heart in that she is kind and compassionate, and it shows that she is not embarrassed or ashamed by her letter.
Dimmesdale is a very respected priest in the colony and committed adultery with Hester...