Introduction
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a novel that is set in a remote village in Puritan New England. Hester Prynne is the main character who is a young woman who has borne a child out of wedlock. Her husband Roger Chillingworth forces her to wear the scarlet letter A on the dress as a form of punishment for her adulterous act. Dimmesdale, a young minister, is the father of the child. He becomes ill as his sense breaks him of guilt. Hence he confesses and dies in Hester's arms. Hester considers herself a heroine and not repentant for the act of adultery but feels that their true love consecrated the act. She goes to Europe but returns to New England and continues to wear the scarlet letter. She dies and buried next to Dimmesdale. Thesis Statement: This paper aims at discussing how by Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism to describe the scarlet letter itself and how he uses different forms of settings and scenes to unite the symbols, themes and plot in a perfect balance.
Symbolism
Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism to narrate the story hence making it more interesting, cultivating and evoking critical thinking. The scarlet letter A represents Hester's sin and adultery. The meaning of the letter changes as time progress to represent her calling as she was now filled with power such that people refused to interpret the meaning of the scarlet. Hence they said it meant Able. "She had not known the weight until she felt freedom." (Hawthorne 24). To Dimmesdale, the meteor represents God as he reveals his son to everyone hence causing guilt.
Dimmesdale's name symbolizes gloom, faint and weak which represents his constant state whereby his light has dimmed since he sinned. Pearl is a symbol of the embodiment of the crimes and passion of the parents whereby, she reminds her mother that she cannot escape her past mistakes. "She could no longer borrow from the future to ease her present grief." (Hawthorne 112). Rosebush symbolizes brightness in this sad story. A scaffold is a symbol of sin, shame, guilt as it is here where Hester got the letter A as a punishment and Dimmesdale got to experience revelation via the meteor.
Forms and Setting of the Novel
Nathaniel Hawthorne uses various types and settings in the novel to tell the story by use of symbols such as crafty settings and scaffold scenes. The scenes can unite the themes, the plot and the numerous symbols used throughout the story. For instance, the first scaffold scene is seen from chapter one to three, which focuses on Hester and the scarlet letter whereby all the principal characters are present. Nathaniel Hawthorne can introduce all the major characters to the audience. The second scaffold scene also presents all the principle characters during the dramatic vision of the scarlet A. It is during this scene that most symbols are offered such as the scaffold itself and Pearl's appeal "the sorrow that lay cold in her mother's heart... converted it into a tomb'. (Hawthorne 312). The third scaffold scene is during Election Day, where Chillingworth loses his opponent, Pearl gains her humanity and Hester loses her dreams.
Conclusion
Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism to bring out the badge of shame human artefact, which is a reflection of order and transgression, wilderness, civilization, adulthood and childhood. This shows that the more society tries to keep out insubordinate passion, the more it emphasizes the slip between reality and appearance. The different settings and scenes have been utilized to perfectly unite the symbols, themes of legalism, guilt and sin, and plot in a perfect balance.
