Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

Chad Prather
Ms. Barger
American Lit, 3G
November 6 2013
“I Abide by the Honor Code” CP

Nathaniel Hawthorne cleverly uses symbolism in his novel “The Scarlet Letter”. The definition of symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities, an allegory would mean the same thing in this case. Symbolism is displayed in the setting, light and color, and the letter “A”. However the most prominent example of symbolism by Hawthorne is in his characters. The names of the characters have deep and significant meaning. The name of each character defines who they are, what they symbolize, and what they mean to those around them.

I. Hester is the public sinner who demonstrates the effect of punishment on sensitivity and human nature.
A.) Over the seven years of her punishment, Hester's obstacles change from a victim of adulatory to a decisive woman in her puritan community.
1.) Overtime, meaning of the “A” changes to “Able” or “Angle”.
2.) Hester begins to realize how human nature plays apart in her conversion.

II. Dimmesdale is a symbol of intellect and basic morality.
A). Dimmesdale knows what is right, but will not act. 1.) when Hester says the ship will leave, he is happy with the timing. 2.) Knows if he leaves at the time of the serom, people will think of him as a legend.

B.) Dimmesdale has an intense internal struggle. A.) Struggles to do the right thing, due to his tormenter, Chillingworth. 1). Chillingworth puts pressure on him by intensifying the guilt.

III. Pearl is the strongest allegorical character in the novel, being nearly all symbol.
A.) Dimmesdale sees her as a symbol of happiness, while Hester sees her as the living symbol of her sin.
1)“she is my happiness! — she is my torture . . . See ye not, she is the scarlet letter, only capable of being loved, and so endowed with a million-fold the power of retribution for my sin?"

B.) Pearl is also the imagination of Hawthorne.
1.) She is natural law, and a sin redeemed.
A). Felt there was a redeemable nature in Pearl.

IV. Chillingworth is a symbol of the cold side of human nature untouched by human compassion.
A.) He is evil, and wont stop until revenge is made.
1.) His evil is so pervasive that Chillingworth awakens the distrust of the Puritan community, and Pearl. 2.) Citizens realize Dimmesdale may be losing the battle to the Devil himself (Chillingworth).
B.) Chillingworth loses the will to live when Dimmesdale ignores him. 1.) "All his strength and energy — all his vital and intellectual force — seemed at once to desert him; insomuch that he positively withered up, shriveled away, and almost vanished from mortal sight."

V. All in all, Hawthorns characters serve not only to tell the story, but to symbolize deeper meaning of puritan society and who they really are.