Essay On Symbolism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne used a lot of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter. Symbolism is the use of objects or people to represent ideas or qualities. Three of the pieces of symbolism the Hawthorne used in this novel was the sunshine and light to represent truth, Mistress Hibbins to represent temptation, and the brook to represent sorrow. Throughout the novel, these symbols reappear over and over, which creates emphasis on the characters and the conflict of the storyline. The sunshine and light were a big part of the symbolism in The Scarlet Letter. The sunshine and light represented the truth that was being revealed between Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne. In the novel, it states “. . . forth burst the sunshine, pouring every flood into the obscure forest. . .” (Hawthorne, 224) after Hester and Dimmesdale both confess their sin and Hester removes the scarlet letter from her bosom. Also the minister, talking about Pearl, says “Yonder she is, standing in a streak of sunshine. . .” (Hawthorne, 225). Pearl was apart of the symbolism Hawthorne used in two
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Hawthorne says that if the scarlet letter had fallen into the brook, it then would have “given the little brook another woe to carry onward. . .” He also says the brook had “unintelligible tales which it still kept murmuring about.” (Hawthorne, 223). The brook’s water flow was like all the sorrows from the sin committed being washed away. In the scene that Hester and Dimmesdale were next to the brook, they both confessed aloud how they felt, and, in Dimmesdale’s case, confessed the truth for the first time. At that moment, the sorrow and pain from keeping the secret to themselves for so long was washed away, like the water in the brook. The brook seemed to also wash away the dirt of their souls, metaphorically. After their confessions, both Hester and Dimmesdale felt a sense of relief upon
Hawthorne says that if the scarlet letter had fallen into the brook, it then would have “given the little brook another woe to carry onward. . .” He also says the brook had “unintelligible tales which it still kept murmuring about.” (Hawthorne, 223). The brook’s water flow was like all the sorrows from the sin committed being washed away. In the scene that Hester and Dimmesdale were next to the brook, they both confessed aloud how they felt, and, in Dimmesdale’s case, confessed the truth for the first time. At that moment, the sorrow and pain from keeping the secret to themselves for so long was washed away, like the water in the brook. The brook seemed to also wash away the dirt of their souls, metaphorically. After their confessions, both Hester and Dimmesdale felt a sense of relief upon