The Symbolism Of The Scaffold In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
The scaffold's introductory scene occurs right as the novel commences at which point it symbolizes disgrace, public humiliation, and judgment for Hester and her daughter Pearl. They are obligated to ascend the scaffold while the communities' society ridicule and mortify them, this as a repercussion of Hester's adultery for which Pearl was the product. This is demonstrated when the grim beadle states, “Open a passage; and, I promise ye, Mistress Prynne shall be set where man, woman, and child may have a fair sight of her brave apparel.... A blessing on the righteous Colony of the Massachusetts, where iniquity is dragged out into the sunshine!” (p. 46-47). While standing on the scaffold, Hester's emotions compare to those of loneliness and embarrassment