The Scarlet Letter: Themes, Symbolism, and Analysis
The Scarlet Letter (1850): A Summary and Analysis
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne opens with Hester Prynne being led to the scaffold, where she is to be publicly shamed for committing adultery. She is forced to wear the letter ‘A’ on her chest at all times. She has stitched the letter onto her dress with gold thread, giving it an air of elegance. She carries Pearl, her daughter. In the crowd, she recognizes her husband from Amsterdam, Roger Chillingworth, who forces her never to reveal his identity. Chillingworth, seeking revenge, uses his reputation to get transferred into the same home as Arthur Dimmesdale, the true father of Pearl. Pearl doesn’t recognize her mother without the letter. Chillingworth tries to torment the minister.
One night, Dimmesdale walks to the scaffold and imagines the entire town watching him with a scarlet letter on his chest. Arthur tells Hester he is terrified of Roger. She tells Arthur she is going to reveal Roger’s true identity. In the woods, she confesses Roger’s true identity. He is furious, but they decide to run away together. Hester secures passage on a ship that will carry all three of them. Roger gets the ship’s captain to agree to take him on board as well. Arthur gives his election sermon, and Hester and Pearl join him on the scaffold after the speech. He confesses that he is a sinner like Hester. He then rips open his shirt to reveal a scarlet letter on his chest. Arthur falls to his knees and dies on the scaffold. Hester and Pearl leave the town, and several years later, Hester returns. She never removes her scarlet letter.
Key Aspects of the Novel
The novel consists of two main parts: first, an introduction to the custom house, and second, the story itself. It is a romance, not a realistic or historical novel. Everything is symbolical. The narrator says that he didn’t invent the story of the scarlet letter but is interested in what happens inside the characters, exploring their psychological wilderness, between 1642-1649.
Themes and Symbolism
There is an interrelated relationship between the individual and society, and punishment is deemed necessary. The punishment is public, taking place on the scaffold. Adulterers were condemned with the letter A. The meaning of these symbols is not fixed. For example, the letter A initially means adulterer, but Hester transforms this into elegance, bravery, and courage. The scaffold is a symbol of punishment.
Social Commentary and Context
In the United States, it is often deemed necessary to apologize when people commit a sin or break the law. In the US, public and private are intertwined, forming a ‘community’ with public confession. In the novel, Hester is an adulterer but doesn’t confess. She is condemned because nobody knows who the father of her daughter is. She fights against the nation. Men and women go against her. This is related to the Declaration of Sentiments & abolitionism women about the liberation of women (written following the Declaration of Independence). The novel is centered on the consequences of sin. Puritans define what sin is. Sin and evil are important themes. The color red symbolizes sin, passion, and lust.
American Romanticism Elements
- Valued feelings and intuition over reason.
- Emphasized the power of imagination.
- Valued individual freedom and worth.
- Sought escape to nature for moral and spiritual development.
- Explored the subconscious.
Gothic Elements
- Darkness
- Conflicts between good and evil
- Sin
Hawthorne’s Style and Themes
- Sense of sin and evil
- Tension between head and heart
- Negative attitude toward science (intellectual characters are often villains)
- Ambiguity
- Symbolism (Puritan society, trying to understand the invisible through the visible)
- Supernatural elements
- Excellent craftsmanship
Conclusion and Interpretations
Chapter 24: Conclusion presents many possibilities and interpretations, encouraging readers to read between the lines. The author is concerned about the consequences. Does sin have a universal definition? Who defines what sin is? What does this book tell us in the 21st century?