The Scarlet Letter 4 Essay, Research Paper

The Scarlet Letter

Hyatt Waggoner, a celebrated Hawthorne bookman, says, & # 8220 ; The Scarlet Letter is Hawthorne s most widely read and admired novel and is besides the 1 that has inspired the most inconclusive argument. . . & # 8221 ; ( Waggoner 118 ) . Much of the problem in construing The

Scarlet Letter stems from the fact that the narrative is extremely symbolic.

The Scarlet Letter opens with the blunt image of the multitude of people environing the prison door. Hawthorne creates a temper by utilizing the, & # 8220 ; sadcolored, & # 8221 ; garment and, & # 8220 ; grey, steeplecrowned chapeaus, & # 8221 ; to give the reader a experiencing a somberness and unhappiness. Among these dark, sad images Hawthorne interjects the wild ruddy rose. As Hawthorne puts it, & # 8220 ; to typify some sweet moral flower, that may be found along the path, or alleviate the darkening stopping point of a narrative of human infirmity and sorrow & # 8221 ; ( McMichael, 1033 ) . The prison is symbolic of moral immorality which would be sin and the graveyard is a symbol of natural immorality which would be decease.

It is normally agreed that the colourss are used extended in The Scarlet Letter as symbols. This is illustrated by the scene by the prison door, but the usage and importance of the symbol grows as the book moves along. Pearl, is frequently identified with the colour red, which Waggoner identifies as immorality. Pearl is non an evil kid in the true sense of the word, but she is a contemplation of her parent s immorality and their love. The colour ruddy, along with images of bright freshness show Pearl to be the merchandise of

a minute of passion between Hester and Dimmesdale. Just like the ruddy rose at the start of the narrative, Pearl is meant to alleviate the sorrow and wretchedness.

The most celebrated symbol is of class the vermilion missive itself. Called, & # 8220 ; The Elaborate Sign, & # 8221 ; by Waggoner, the missive A exhibits itself a figure of times and in a figure of ways throughout the narrative. The A may look on Dimmesdale s thorax, it appears as Pearl, in the sky as a immense missive formed by a comet ; in the mirror at the Governor s sign of the zodiac ; and on Hester s gravestone ( McMichael 1150 ) .

The missive itself is red, which at first glimpse would look to corroborate Mr. Waggoner s theory that red in the narrative is a representation of immorality. A instance can be made, nevertheless, that even in the missive A that ruddy is symbolic of hope and spirit. The vermilion missive is at one time both the beginning of Hester s shame and shame and the beginning of her strength. Not merely does it propose the seed out of which Pearl grew, but it is a symbol of Hester making the right thing in being humbled for her injudiciousnesss.

In decision, whether or non Hawthorne would deliberately visualize a adult female and a evildoer as a Christ figure is non a inquiry that can be answered within the range of this paper. The similarities are excessively strong to disregard. The red of the A is representative of Christ s blood. Hester, like Christ, went to her cross in satisfaction of another s sins. The job of Christ being impeccant and Hester non is solved by Hawthorne, as he portrays Hester as the highest moral character in the novel.