The Scarlet Letter: Symbolism and Themes in Hawthorne’s Novel
The Scarlet Letter: Contrasting Settings and Characters
In The Scarlet Letter, the town and the surrounding forest represent opposing behavioral systems. The town represents civilization, a rule-bound space where everything one does is on display and where transgressions are quickly punished. The forest, on the other hand, is a space of natural rather than human authority. In the forest, society’s rules do not apply, and alternate identities can be assumed. When Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the woods, for a few moments, they become happy young lovers once again. Hester offers him the chance to start again in Europe and change their names.
Hester and Dimmesdale: Contrasting Personalities
Hester is a Romantic character, with a touch of Puritanism, while Dimmesdale is completely Puritan. In the forest, she lets down her hair, symbolizing passion and sexuality.
Puritanism vs. Transcendentalism
The idea of Puritanism is expressed through the experience of Hester and Dimmesdale: sin results in expulsion and suffering, like the story of Adam and Eve. For Transcendentalists, the role of God as the creator of all nature is most inspirational. Through this understanding, Hawthorne expresses the Transcendentalist belief in the existence of a spark of the divine in all men. The Puritan elders, on the other hand, insist on seeing earthly experience as merely an obstacle on the path to heaven.
Puritan society is stagnant, while Hester and Dimmesdale’s experience shows that a state of sinfulness can lead to personal growth, sympathy, and understanding of others. Paradoxically, these qualities are shown to be incompatible with a state of purity.
The Scarlet Letter: A Multifaceted Symbol
The Scarlet Letter is meant to be a symbol of shame, but instead, it becomes a powerful symbol of identity for Hester. This letter is not a closed symbol; it is a letter that changes and can be interpreted in many ways throughout the story. She transforms that “shame” into “pride.” She doesn’t share Puritan values.
The Letter “A”: Multiple Meanings
A = Adultery, Arthur, Angel, Artist, Able.
Originally intended to mark Hester as an adulterer, the “A” comes to stand for “Able.”
Hester sewed the red “A” in gold thread; this could mean that she feels no shame about it.
The symbol becomes a focal point for critical analysis and debate.
The Meteor: A Sign in the Sky
A meteor traces out an “A” in the night sky. To Dimmesdale, the meteor implies that he should wear a mark of shame just as Hester does. For the rest of the community, the meteor is interpreted as “Angel.” The Puritans commonly looked to symbols to confirm divine sentiments.
Dimmesdale: A Gothic Character
Dimmesdale, whose name suggests dimness, is a Gothic character; he is a hypocrite.
Pearl: A Living Symbol
Although Pearl is a complex character, her primary function within the novel is to work as a symbol.
She is something precious to her mother, innocent and wild. Pearl is the living embodiment of the letter “A.” She is associated with the wild rosebush.
Pearl: A Blessing and a Reminder
Even though she is a reminder of Hester’s “sin,” Pearl is more than a mere punishment to her mother; she is also a blessing. Pearl represents not only “sin” but also the vital spirit and passion that engendered that sin. Thus, Pearl’s existence gives her mother a reason to live, bolstering her spirits when she is tempted to give up. It is only after Dimmesdale is revealed to be Pearl’s father that Pearl can become fully human. Until then, she functions in a symbolic capacity as the reminder of an unsolved mystery.
The Romance Genre in The Scarlet Letter
The dominant form for the 19th-century American novel is the romance. A romancer may employ the improbable and extraordinary—even the supernatural.
Hawthorne deliberately chose the romance to convey what he wanted to say. The Hawthorne romance form allows him to embody his major thematic concerns, such as historical details (for example, the events that occurred in Salem) and fictional and fantastic events.
The technique of romance involves a deliberate balance between the marvelous and the natural and therefore creates that artistic distance so crucial to the romancer’s meditative ends.