the-symbolism-in-the-Scarlet-Letter.doc

Abstract: As a great romantic novelist in America in the 19th century, Hawthorne was outstanding in handling the application of symbolism, and a study of his symbols is necessary to understanding his novels. The Scarlet Letter is Hawthornes most important symbolic novel, which stands as the best work of Hawthorne and one of the indubitable masterpieces of American literature. This thesis aims at the exploration of the usage of the symbolism in the novel. It mainly discusses the deep symbolic significance of the Scarlet Letter A and the major characters. The Scarlet Letter is the central symbol of the novel. Its symbolic meaning changes from adultery to angel, and it also examines the symbolic meanings of litter Pearl and Hester Prynne.Key words: symbolism; Scarlet Letter.I. IntroductionNathaniel Hawthorne is a great romantic novelist in America in the 19th century, and is a central figure in the American Renaissance. His novels are penetrating exploration of moral and spiritual conflicts. He is outstanding in literary skills, especially in his use of symbolism. In the Scarlet Letter, symbolism runs through the whole novel where the scarlet letter A, the characters of the story and the settings are all endowed with a deep symbolic significance.This essay highlights and interprets the major symbolism of the book represented by the colors, the characters and as well, the scarlet letter.II. Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter1. The symbolism meaning of “the scarlet letter”In The Scarlet Letter, the letter “A”, the spirit of novel, builds up the framework and launches a close link between the human relationships. The novel begins and ends both with the letter “A” with its conspicuous symbolic significance. In the novel, the letter appears on Hesters gown, on Arthurs heart, in Pearls hands as well as in the evening sky. Its symbolic significance changes with the development of the novel. As time passes the letters meaning on Hesters chest shifts also. This change is significant. It shows growth in the characters, and the community in which they live. In the course of the story, the “A” seems to encompass the entire range of human beings, from the earthly and passionate “adulteress” to the pure and spiritual “angel”. The letter A begins as a symbol of sin. It then becomes a symbol of alone and alienations, and finally it becomes a symbol of able, angel and admirable.1.1 A for AdulteryThe letter A, worn on Hesters bosom, is a symbol of her adultery against Roger Chillingworth. As a puritan punishment way of the adultery, it is her punishment to wear the letter “A”. The puritan treatment continues, because as Hester walks through the streets, she will be looked down upon as if she is some sort of demon from hell that commits a terrible crime. This letter is meant to be worn in shame, and to make Hester feel unwanted. “Here, she said to herself, had been the scene of her guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment”(标注1) Hester is ashamed of her sin, but she chooses not to shows it. She admits this sin in the heart of passion, and fully recognizes it for the reason that though she is ashamed, she also receives her greatest treasure, Pearl, out of it. She is a very strong and brave woman. Faced with such kind of punishment, many will leave Boston to seek a place where no one knows their great sin or they can emerge into another state where she could aloof from the law that condemns them. However, Hester chooses to stay, which shows that she has a lot of strength and integrity. Without enough perseverance and firm endurance can any person, let alone a woman, go through these difficulties in a situation where he is looked down upon.1.2 A for AlienationThe scarlet letter A also stands for Hesters lonely life in New England. After she is released, Hester lives in a cottage near the outskirts of the city. “It had been built by an earlier settler, and abandoned, because the soil about it was too sterile for cultivation, while its comparative remoteness put it out of the sphere of that social activity which already marked the habits of the emigrants.” Hesters social life is virtually eliminated as a result of her shameful history. Hester comes to have a part to perform in the world with her native energy of character and rare capacity. “However, there was nothing that made her feel as if she belonged to it. Every gesture, every word, and even the silence of those with whom she came to contact, implied, and often expressed, that she was banished, and as much alone as if she inhabited another sphere, or communicated with the common nature by other organs and senses than the rest of human kind. She stood apart from moral interestsseemed to be the sole portion that she retained in the universal heart.” Hester has no friends in the world, and little Pearl is the only companion of her lonely life, so the scarlet letter A also is a symbol of “alienation”.1.3 A for Able, Admirable and AngelThe letter “A” manifests in a variety of forms and places. Later, the scarlet letter “A” changes its meaning into being able, angel and admirable. Her excellent needlework for the rich allows her to maintain a fairly stable lifestyle. After years of Hesters helping, serving, and sympathizing with them, many of the townspeople refuse to interpret the scarlet letter by its original signification, and now they believe that the scarlet letter stands for her ability to her beautiful needlework and for her unselfish assistance to the poor and sick. At this point, a lot of townspeople realize what a noble character Hester possesses. “Do you see that woman with the embroidered badge? It is our Hesterthe towns own Hesterwho is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comforting to the afflicted!” The townspeople soon begin to believe that the badge is served to ward off evil, and Hester grows to be quite admirable amongst the people of the town. Hester overcomes the shame of her sin through the purity and goodness of her soul. Unselfishly offering her time and love to those who need her most proves that she is not worthy of the punishment which has been put on her.These three changes in the scarlet letter are significant; they show the progressive possession of her sin, her lonely life, and her ability. Hester is a strong and admirable woman who goes through more emotional torture than most people may do in a lifetime.2. The expressions of symbolism in major charactersHawthorne uses characters as symbols in The Scarlet Letter. The characters of Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, Pearl, and Roger Chillingworth are all associated with sin. However, these four characters symbolize different aspects of sin. Hester Prynne represents how sin can make one stronger and Arthur Dimmesdale symbolizes how hidden sins can cause harm. Pearl serves as a reminder of the scarlet letter to her mother, and Roger Chillingworth is an example to show that how many small transgressions can add up to a major sin. Moreover, the fate of characters can be appreciated much better when one is aware of the implication of their names. Chillingworth is cold and inhuman and thus brings a “chill” to Hesters and Dimmesdales lives. “Prynne” rhymes with “sin,” while “Dimmesdale” suggests “dimness”weakness, indeterminacy, lack of insight, and lack of will, all of which characterize the young minister. The name “Pearl” evokes a biblical allegorical devicethe “Pearl” of great price” that is salvation. This system of naming lends a profundity to the story, linking it to other allegorical works of literature such as Pilgrims Progress and to portions of the Bible. It also aligns the novel with popular forms of narrative such as fairy tales.2.1 Pearla living scarlet letterThe scarlet letter “A” worn by Hester Prynne, is a punishment for the sin of adultery she has committed. Following Hesters act of adultery, she becomes pregnant and gives birth to a baby girl whom she names Pearl. So the baby girl is “a child of sin”. From the first moment that we are introduced to Pearl in the novel, we get the sense that there is some connection between the baby and the scarlet letter “A”. Actually Pearl is the embodiment of the scarlet letter, because if Pearl has never been born, Hester would have never been found guilty of adultery and thus never would have had to wear the burden upon her chest. So Pearl symbolizes the living scarlet letter. She acts very differently than other people in Boston in that she seems to be much more vibrant than the others. We see this displayed in various forms like her dress, her mood swings, her sometimes mischievous behaviors, and her constant liveliness. Throughout the novel, Pearl is used by Hawthorne to symbolize many different things, as we will see in the following discussion.1.1.1 As the shame of adulteryWhile the Puritan society punishes Hester by making her wear an embroidered letter, God punishes Hester in his own way. He gives her a beautiful and unique child, which serves as a constant Physical reminder of Hesters sin. Pearl is born a social outcast and a product of sin.Pearl, Hesters daughter, is a living version of the scarlet letter. She constantly causes Hester and Arthur torment and anguish throughout the novel. Hester has decorates Pearl in an outrageous “crimson velvet tunic” which is embroidered with gold thread. Hawthorne comments that “the childs whole appearancewas the scarlet letter in another form: the scarlet letter endowed with life!” Pearl is dressed in a scarlet dress with gold fringe exactly resembling the scarlet A on Hesters bosom, and she had a natural preference to focus on the scarlet letter, which is shown in Chapter Fifteen:“Pearl took some eelgrass, and imitated, as best as she could, on her own bosom, the decoration with which she was so familiar on her mothers, the letter A, but freshly green, instead of scarlet!”One of the most symbolic scenes in the novel occurs in the forest as Pearl and Hester are traveling to meet Dimmesdale. Pearl remarks to Hester that” the sun shine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom.” Sunshine, which can symbolize the approval of God, rejects Hester because of her sin and “the thing of her bosom”. This confirms that Pearl constantly reminds Hester of her sin and her punishment. In one of the most dramatic scenes in the novel, Pearl prevents Hester from escaping her sin and shame. Pearl “bursts into a fit of passion” and will not go to her mother until she puts the scarlet letter A back on her bosom and places her hair back underneath her cap. In one moment that Hester attempts to escape her sin, Pearl refuses to acknowledge her until she returns to the shameful mother that she has always known. So to Hester, Pearl is a persistent remembrance to the scarlet letter A, which she must bear on her bosom. According to the Puritan punishment, Hester has to wear the scarlet letter A which symbolizes the shame of adultery for the rest of life; and Pearl, even more than the letter, embodies the shame of Hesters adultery. Hawthorne describes Pearl as a symbol of the sin committed between Hester and Dimmesdale. Hester is seen refusing to hold Pearl next to her breast with the scarlet letter A. She comments that one symbol of shame would be inadequate to hide another.1.1.2 As love and passionAlthough Hester has so much trouble with Pearl, she still feels that Pearl is her treasure. Pearl literally represents something of great value. A Pearl in the ocean is found and extracted after careful labor. Pearl is brought to the world at a great cost. She is brought to the world at the expense of her mothers public condemnation. Pearl is innocent and is her mothers only treasure and compassion. Hester chooses the name of Pearl to show her cherishing of love. Pearl is the only object of affection that Hester has in life and if Pearl were not in Hesters life, Hester would most surely commit suicide. Thus, Pearl, who represents love, is more than her mothers only treasure; she is her mothers only source of survival. Thats why Hester goes to plead Governor Bellingham to let her keep the child, when the Governor thinks it would be better for Pearl to be raised in a more Christian household. Pearl is symbolic of the ardent love, because she is also the product of love between Hester and Arthur. Hester stands for the beauty of true love. Whats more, Pearl is wild and uncontrolled like the passion between Hester and Arthur. “When she is in the forest with her mother, she fits in with the wild things and they seem to accept herthe forest, and these wild things which it nourished, all recognized a kindred wildness in the human child?”(标注) Nature recognizes in Pearl a wildness. Pearl, who symbolizes wild passion, can not be accepted by the Puritans. She is compared to a witch in both the way she interacts with the other children and the way she plays. Thus, we can see that the natural passion in regarded as evil in the Puritan society.1.1.3 As a moral pointMuch of Chapter Eight in The Scarlet Letter is decided to drawing stronger parallels between Pearl and the red rose. Thus Pearl is called a “a red rose” by Wilson when he first sees her. Even stronger is Pearls response to Wilsons question concerning who made her where she says that she was plucked off the rose bush outside the prison door. Thus directly tells the reader that Pearl is the person to reveal the moral element of the story, for she embodies the morality. Moreover, younger Pearl, the product of Hester Prynnes and Reverend Dimmesdales shared sin, is a medium for complete self-recognition; she is integral to the novels plot for her role in first polarizing her parents and finally uniting them. Hester hasboth inwardly and outwardlyfully recognized her guilt, while Dimmesdale has demonstrated weakness, cowardice, and inability to accept blame completely. Pearl, as a constant reminder of her parents mistake, is a torturous reflection of themselves, gradually reinforcing Hesters sad acceptance of her past and Dimmesdales tormented avoidance of confession. The reflective imagery Hawthorne uses in connection with the peculiar little Pearl is away of illustrating that, like a mirror, she allows one to perceive and confront personal faults. Only Hester, however, is close enough to Pearl to see her true reflection. In this way, the child helps reveal the dichotomy between her mothers fortitude and her fathers feebleness in the acceptance of guilt. We may argue that Pearl, as a symbol of total self-knowledge, is the figurative boundary Dimmesdale must cross to join Hester physically on the town scaffold and spiritually in penitence. Pearl assures her true role in the story by being the person who will eventually make Dimmesdale admit his crime. She asks him to stand on the scaffold with her mother at noontide of the next day. Hawthorne is not merely telling us a story; he is also trying to make a moral point. Pearl is in fact the moral of the story. The moral she is meant to teach is that Hester and Arthur can not let their passion overrun them without regard for the consequences. Truly Pearl, as the lively moral, prompts the two lovers to take responsibility for what they have done at any time.1.2 Hester Prynne: symbol of strength and independenceHawthornes book explores the concept of human sin through the development of complex, layered characters and by using plenty of symbolism. Hester Prynne, the adulteress of The Scarlet Letter, best personifies Hawthorne s complex treatment of the falling of the human soul.Hester, the main characters of The Scarlet Letter, is a symbol of the sinner in the Puritan society. In the Puritans eyes, she represents guilt. However, as the protagonist of the novel, Hester is described as a youthful, beautiful, spirited, and proud woman, although when she first appears in the story, there is already a scandal attached to her name that is symbolized by the scarlet letter A. When she walks to the scaffold from the prison, she holds her head high and remains in full public view without shedding a tear. Hawthorne describes her as both a sinner and saint. Her spirit is also reflected in her decorating the scarlet letter with gold thread and benevolent devotions. Hesters strength of character in public is in fact her way of steeling herself against her inner wounds inflicted by her infamy and scourged by the scarlet letter.Furthermore, Hester Prynne, like Anne Hutehinson whom Hawthorne mentions in the first chapter, is a woman of strength and independence. Her refusal to reveal the childs father leads her to suffer the public humiliation. Being uncommon for her time, Hester is depicted by Hawthorne in a number of ways after her ordeal on the scaffold. First is her decision to remain in Boston to suffer whatever humiliations the community has in store for her. Her strength is seen in her rearing of her child alone, without family or friends, and her move to work out her penance by becoming a sister of charity for the very community that scorns her. Though her true charity is weak, she endures silently and with immense fortitude the humiliation visited upon her by the people she serves. She supports herself and her child as a seamstress. Second, she is undaunted in her willingness to stand up to the most powerful men in the colony in her determination to keep the child. And by freezing her world into a small circle containing only Pearl and herself, she shields the two of them from the mockery of a moralistic and cold society. Similarly, when townspeople who have snubbed her and derided her for years remember her kindnesses as a nurse and begin speaking to her in public, her response of silently pointing to the scarlet letter is an act of pride and independence. Her strength is shown in the forest scene when she justifies