“A,” the letter was prominent on her black gown. With her head bowed, Hester Prynne slowly hobbled out of the prison. The crowd stared at her in disapproval, because she had a committed a great sin, the sin of adultery. The book “The Scarlet Letter” is a moving narrative by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Set in the mid seventeenth century right outside of colonial Boston, this classic work of art tells the tale of Hester Prynne, a woman who is publicly shamed and punished for committing adultery. When her strict Puritan community finds out that she is pregnant Hester is sentenced to time in prison, and to wear a scarlet “A” on her clothing at all times for the remainder of her life. The “A” represents adultery or adulterous so that wherever Hester goes she will always be reminded of her mistake. Although Hester does feel some agony surrounding the “A” she also learns how to come to terms with her. Hester Prynne faces a journey filled with self doubt, shame, but also pride, and joy. “The Scarlet Letter” is a book surrounded by enriching symbolism that helps to transform the book and to tell the entrancing story.
One significant symbol throughout the books are the characters. One character that has a lot of symbolism surrounding him is Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s previous husband represents the devil, and constant darkness. For example in chapter 10 we see Chillingworth’s dark side “But with what a wild look of wonder, job, and horror! With what a ghastly rapture....making itself even riotously manifest by the extravagant gesture with which he threw up his arms towards the ceiling, and stamped his foot upon the floor! Had a man seen old Roger Chillingworth, at that moment of his ecstasy, he would have had no need to ask how Satan comports himself when a precious human soul is lost to heaven, and won into his kingdom.” This quotation helps the reader to view how Roger Chillingworth represents evil, and the devil. It allows us to further view that he is a very dark and twisted character. In addition the character Pearl represents truth. In chapter 16 Pearl and Hester await Dimmesdale in the forrest. Pearl notices how the sun seems to run away from Hester, and speculates that this is as a result of the “A” that Hester wears. "'Mother,' said little Pearl, 'the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now, see! There it is, playing, a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me; for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!'" This shows how Pearl represents the truth because she is showing the truth of how Hester’s “A” scares off the sunshine. I think we also see from this quotation that sun represents people, and social interactions that would bring Hester happiness. The characters in “The Scarlet Letter” are major symbols that are constantly seen throughout the book.
One of the major symbols that is in the entire book is the “A” itself. The “A” represents shame, defying society, ability, solitude, joy, and the countless emotions that Hester experiences throughout the book. For example we see how the “A” represents grief and pain that Hester faced when in chapter 18 she takes it off. "The stigma gone, Hester heaved a long, deep sigh, in which the burden of shame and anguish departed from her spirit. O exquisite relief! She had not known the weight, until she felt the freedom!” This helps the reader to understand more how the “A” represents Hester’s pain and suffering, and has deeply emotionally burdened her. Throughout the book, the “A” takes on many different meanings and represents other sides of Hester. For example in chapter 13 we begin to see how the “A” has taken on other meanings "[M]any people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength." This shows how the “A” represents positive concepts, and represents many aspects of Hester. She herself has transformed what the “A” means and made it into something good in her own life. The “A” is a symbol that appears in the entirety of the book and takes on many meanings as the plot develops.
Throughout the book “The Scarlet Letter” we see many different symbols. The symbolism in this book is constant, and brings interesting and important twists to the plot. The characters journeys are enriched by these symbols. Hester Prynne, and all the other characters face the challenge of many complex emotions and are surrounded by symbols.
