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The following are symbols that are embedded in The Scarlet Letter:

• The Scarlet Letter A: In the beginning of the novel Hester's letter A is a representation of her sin and adultery. However, as time progresses, the meaning of the letter changed. It now represented, to some, able. It states "The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her—so much power to do, and power to sympathize—that many 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" .
• Meteor: The meteor shaped as an A serves as another symbol in the book. To Reverend Dimmesdale the meteor is a sign from God who is revealing his sin to everyone and causes him to be ridden with guilt. However, others perceived the letter to be a symbol for angel.
• Dimmesdale's name: Dimmesdale's name itself also holds symbolism. His name contains the root word "dim" which evokes the feeling of faint, weak, and gloom. This represents the constant state Dimmesdale finds himself in. His life has dimmed itself ever since his sin, causing his light of life to fade and dim.
• Pearl: Pearl symbolizes the embodiment of her parents' sin and passion. She is a constant reminder of the sin from which her mother cannot escape. It is mentioned she "was the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed in life" .
• Rosebush: The rosebush is mentioned twice within the course of the story. At the beginning, it is first viewed as nature's way of offering beauty to those who leave and enter the prison as well as providing a glimmer of hope to those who inhabit it. The rosebush is perceived as a symbol of brightness in a story filled with human sorrow.
• The Scaffold: The scaffold is mentioned three times throughout the novel. It can be viewed as separating the book into the beginning, middle, and end. It symbolizes shame, revelation of sin, and guilt for it is where Hester received her scarlet letter as punishment and where Dimmesdale experiences his revelation through the meteor.

2022-02-17

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• 罗梦琳
  Agreed with your opinions.

  2022-03-03 刪除 喜欢(0)

• stayHydrated
  As a result, she retreats into her own mind and her own thinking. Her thoughts begin to stretch and go beyond what would be considered by the Puritans as safe. She still sees her sin, but begins to look on it differently than the villagers ever have. She begins to believe that a person's earthly sins do not necessarily condemn them. She even goes so far as to tell Dimmesdale that their sin has been paid for by their daily penance and that their sin will not keep them from getting to heaven, although the Puritans believed that such a sin surely condemns.

  2022-02-19 刪除 喜欢(0)

• stayHydrated
  Another theme is the extreme legalism of the Puritans and how Hester chooses not to conform to their rules and beliefs. Hester was rejected by the villagers even though she spent her life doing what she could to help the sick and the poor. Because of the social  shunning , she spent her life mostly in solitude and would not go to church.

  2022-02-19 刪除 喜欢(0)

• stayHydrated
  Chillingworth's misshapen body reflects ,or symbolizes, the anger in his soul, which builds as the novel progresses, similar to the way Dimmesdale's illness reveals his inner turmoil. The outward man reflects the condition of the heart; an observation thought inspired by the deterioration of  Edgar Allan Poe , whom Hawthorne "much admired".

  2022-02-19 刪除 喜欢(0)

• stayHydrated
  Jane Eyre ' s initial reception contrasts starkly to its reputation today. In 1848, Elizabeth Rigby ,later  Elizabeth Eastlake , reviewing  Jane Eyre  in  The Quarterly Review , found it pre-eminently an anti-Christian composition,  declaring: We do not hesitate to say that the tone of mind and thought which has overthrown authority and violated every code human and divine abroad, and fostered  Chartism  and rebellion at home, is the same which has also written  Jane Eyre.

  2022-02-19 刪除 喜欢(0)