MelissaHagg

The Scarlet Letter and Symbolism

When Dr. Jerz first said that we would be reading The Scarlet Letter, I was somewhat disappointed. I felt the book would be both a hard read as well as very dull. However, I finished the book and even did research on it and truly found myself a fan of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s. The part of his reading that I really became a fan of is simply how he used symbolism throughout the novel. The symbolism that especially interested me was how the letter “A” throughout the story takes on so many forms.
Symbolism can simply be defined as being the art or practice of using symbols especially by investing things with a symbolic meaning or by expressing the invisible or intangible by means of visible or sensuous representations (Merrim-Webster Online Dictionary, 2004). I feel that this definition was thoroughly utilized by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In the book, the Scarlet Letter is first to stand for adultery thus the letter “A.” But, after reading I found that the letter “A” actually shaped who Hester would and did become.
I actually found a similar essay that agreed with several of my points of view (Symbolism and The Scarlet Letter, 2004). In this essay as well as my own, it is portrayed that America was actually shaped by everything that had happened in Hester Prynne’s life. This included all the various people and cultures, mistakes she made, and her relationship with other countries. Hester Prynne’s letter can now be symbolized with adulteress, American, and able. Able grew from her ability to simply be a strong woman throughout the story. She took her punishment when issued to her, cared for Pearl by herself, and then became both a seamstress and a Sister of Charity to care for her daughter and herself. In doing this, Hester Prynne was “able” to turn her punishment into penance as most people would eventually look upon it as being.
The other symbolism that I found in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s reading was in reference to the ever occurring rose bush. I like how the author strategically placed this type of symbolism throughout the novel. In looking at the definition of rose, I found this word could actually mean to exert oneself to meet a challenge (Merrim-Webster Online Dictionary, 2004). When reading the novel, I would constantly concentrated on this word to only be in reference to the flower. It was not until after I finished the novel that I thought this word might actually symbolize another meaning.
After seeing the experiences that Hester Prynne endured, I then wondered if rose was to mean something other than a flower. The roses found in the beginning of the book during Hester’s sentence as well as the roses found on the way to the King’s house both had separate but similar meanings. These rose bushes were both found when Hester specifically had to exert herself to meet a challenge. This was essentially both during her punishment and her meeting to discuss the future of her daughter. They were instances that Hester actually did exert and meet the challenge with both courage and strength. This may not actually be the symbolism that Nathaniel Hawthorne was intending; however, it is the most probable and likely to me.
I guess that I am simply a fan of symbolism and look to find it wherever possible. This is an aspect, however, that I truly enjoy investigating in depth. The novel, The Scarlet Letter, has allowed me to simply realize that I am an individual that likes symbolism both in my own life as well as the novels that I choose to read.