Symbols in the Scarlet Letter Essay Example

Symbols in the Scarlet Letter Essay Example Symbols in the Scarlet Letter Essay Symbols in the Scarlet Letter Essay Essay Topic: The Scarlet Letter Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Symbols in the Scarlet Letter The use of symbolism is the use of a symbol, which is the representation of something else (Fromm 122). A symbol is used to mean something else apart from the one that has obviously been described. Symbols are often used to describe the inner experiences to the outside world. The same symbol could mean different things in various contexts, and should therefore be carefully interpreted to suit the circumstances. A symbol can be an object or action that has additional meaning that is identifiable to a person. Symbolism requires seeking of a deeper meaning to a description in order to understand the intended meaning. The life of a human being is full of symbolism whether intended or accidental (Birkerts 125). We often use signs to signify various aspects of our lives and to communicate. For example, we use a handshake as a sign of peace. The writer of the scarlet letter successfully makes use of symbolism in his work. The first symbol used is Hester, pearl’s mother who is seen as a sinner by the community. She is viewed as a disgrace to the community for committing adultery and is punished for her sins after a public humiliation. The torture she undergoes during this period symbolizes the struggles that people undergo in their lives due to their moral choices. It represents the consequences of choices that are inconsistent with the society’s norms. She was ridiculed by the society for her actions, which lowers her self-esteem and her self-worth. This represents the stigmatization in the society that people who have made immoral choices undergo. After enduring her punishment, she transforms from a lifeless woman to a strong woman. She is finally set free from the oppression. This shows that been a sinner is a temporary condition that can be changed. The writer uses her as a symbol of a sinner who makes mistakes, learns from them and finally changes her behavior. Dimmesdale is also used symbolically. In the text, he is a sinner just like Hester, but unlike Hester, he does not confess to his sins and instead shies away from the truth. He comfortably goes about his duties as a reverend as if nothing had happened, and does not help Hester when she is tortured for not revealing the man who had made her pregnant. The public views him as holy while inside he is the opposite of that. The society is sometimes judgmental and fails to see a person for who he is and instead judges him depending on his outward appearance and image. This portrays him as a symbol of hypocrisy for acting like the holy person he is not. Finally, he decides to confront his sins and admits to being the father of pearl. Dimmesdale is a symbol of guilt, where he tries to fight the guilt, but it eventually wins him over and makes him confess his sins. He is also portrayed as a hypocrite who eventually comes clean and gains inner peace in doing so. The scarlet letter is used as a symbol with different meanings in various contexts. Initially, the letter was used to mean adultery in reference to Hester’s adulterous actions. It represents the suffering she was subjected to by the society. The scarlet A on her dress hides Hester’s heart just like her life; the pain and sufferings are hidden by her sinful action. Here, the scarlet A is used to represent the shame Hester’s actions had brought her. This was a way of punishing her by constantly reminding of her sins and reminding the society of the consequences of adultery. It is also meant to signify the guilt of Hester and her identity as an abomination. At the death of the governor, the community sees the scarlet letter in the sky as a sign that he was becoming an angel while to Dimmesdale it reminded him of his sins. Later on, when Hester starts visiting the homes of people in sorrow, the meaning of the letter changed to mean ‘able’. This is symbol ic of the society’s changing view on Hester as she picks up the pieces of her life after they had been shattered by her sins. This symbolizes the changes in the society’s perspective that is influenced by changes in the behavior of individuals. This means that the actions of a person are a determinant of how the society views him. Pearl is a complex character used symbolically in the text. She is like the scarlet letter only that she is a living human being. Just as the letter serves as a constant reminder to Hester of her sins, Pearl is also a reminder to her mother and to the society of the sins committed by her mother. This represents the permanent consequences of human actions that cannot be reversed and one has to live with them forever. Pearl is viewed as a product of evil by the community, and their opinion does not change like it did in relation to Hester (Hawthorne 5). This shows that the community most likely judges an individual on a sin committed once or a long time ago. Despite pearl been the symbol of her mother’s sins, she says Pearl is her source of joy. She also represents the passion that resulted from that sin. This is the symbolic meaning that good can come from evil. Instead of Hester viewing pearl as a curse, she sees her as a blessing to her. This shows that people can turn their problems into opportunities to make themselves stronger and better. It could also be interpreted as focusing on the positive aspects of a situation instead of complaining of one’s problems. Pearl enjoys the life in the forest since she feels free and happy there unlike in the puritan community. She is also set free by the confession of her father’s sins. This is symbolic that the acceptance of one’s sins sets him free from guilt and gives him peace. Chillingworth is used by the writer as a symbol of revenge. His strength and enthusiasm represents the strong emotion of revenge that is out of human control. He is compared to a snake, which symbolizes the evil that revenge possesses. Chillingworth makes the community start mistrusting Pearl, which shows the raging fire of revenge that consumes people regardless of their personalities. Dimmesdale suffers due to the torture caused by Chillingworth. This shows that the power of revenge is exceptionally strong, dangerous and destructive to the parties involved. Pearl warns her mother against associating with Chillingworth. This could be interpreted to mean that Pearl was warning her mother against been consumed by the strong force of revenge since it was a force of evil. After Dimmesdale’s confession of his sin, chilling lost his strength and withered. This is symbolic that revenge is killed by good actions since it is by itself evil. Light and color are used as symbols in the text, in their various contexts. The opposites of the two are used to represent good and evil. When pearl’s parents meet in the forest, the sky is covered in some form of gray covering, and the forest is described as black and dense. This represents the guilt weighing in their conscience and the evil sin they committed. Sunshine is seen to flicker in the forest as a representation of hope of redemption from their sinful nature. This symbolizes the hope for the alienated people in the society who have been tortured continuously for their mistakes. Pearl tells her mother that the sun would not shine on her if she was still sinful and she therefore needed to repent. This symbolizes that a sinner can only change after accepting his sins. Eventually, the sun shines on Hester after she sets her hair free. This shows that there is hope for the couple after the torture they had been subjected. This is also a sign of freedom for the oppressed after they let their troubles go. The sunshine is also a sign of nature’s approval of good actions. Darkness was used to describe jail where Hester underwent a lot of torture as punishment. The puritans at this time wore gray hats representing the sorrow of the community. Nighttime is the moment of concealment of the truth by Dimmesdale. His confession is made at noon when the sun is bright. The use of noon is symbolic of the revelation and exposure that he is exposed to by his confession. It is also symbolic of a line between good and evil since his confession makes him a better person but other people may focus on his wrongdoings. The community is associated with dull colors such as grey and black which is a representation of their sorrow. The setting in the text is symbolic. The group of people who are consistently watching the development of the story represents the rigid rules and regulation governing the community, which cannot be changed. The forest represents the natural world governed by the laws of nature, which are more humane than those of the land. The forest is also a representation of a moral ground that Hester goes into after her sinful nature. The brook is a border for the two worlds, which pearl refuses to cross. The writer has successfully used symbolism to communicate various messages about the life of a human being in a society. The scarlet letter is a short story with a lot of information. Symbolism gas been used to simplify the message into short words. The various interpretations of a particular symbol are proofs of the richness of information that the text carries. Therefore, the use of symbolism is evidently helpful in writing to help the reader view the text in a broad perspective and relate the text to real life situations. Fromm, Erich. The Nature of Symbolic Language. Class Handout: English 101. Cerro Coso Community College, 2010. 2l -26. Print. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlett Letter. London: Dent Sons, 1971. Print. Birkerts P. Sven. Literature: The Evolving Canon. Class Handout: English 101. Cerro Coso Community College, 1995. l25 -27. Print.