Symbolism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
Chloè McMurray
Honor’s Assignment/American Literature
ENG 252
November 12, 2013
Hawthorne’s Works of Many Colors One of the most beautiful, if not the most stunning aspects of literature is symbolism. Whether it is the use of metaphor, simile, allegory, or myth, using contextual or cultural symbols is of the utmost importance to an author attempting to get his or her point across. The act of taking something abstract- emotion, character trait, intention, or value- and explaining them with something concrete- shape, color, sounds, animal, person-can be an author’s most helpful tool. However, out of the vast plethora of possible symbols, how does an author decide which one to use? Symbolist Nathaniel Hawthorne, most recognized for authoring …show more content…
The leading female character in the story is Hester Prynne. She is seen by her Puritan culture as a fallen woman with weak morals; however, because she is able to confess her sins, Hawthorne portrays her as a redeemed member of society. She wears a red “A” on her breast to rid herself of the guilt accompanied by her adulterous affair. Despite having to be so openly humiliated and shamed, Hester often holds her head up high and smiles. While standing on the scaffold, Hester “took the baby on her arm, and, with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbors” (Hawthorne 50). The elegantly sewn patch of red appears to make Hester beam as she stands before her …show more content…
First, we see our joyful main character leaving his young wife to go on a journey. Obviously, Goodman Brown is symbolic of the color brown (more on that in a bit), and his wife, Faith-how appropriate-is wearing a pink ribbon in her hair when he leaves her. When he leaves her, “he looked back and saw the head of Faith still peeping after him with a melancholy air, in spite of her pink ribbons” (Hawthorne 65). Once on his journey into the forest, Brown meets a man carrying a black staff. They converse and a few signs of witchcraft are prevalent. Deep in the forest, the witchcraft signs come full circle as it seems Brown has found himself in the middle of a meeting with the devil. When he realizes that almost everyone he held high up on the religious totem pole-the minister, Faith, his father and grandfather, Deacon Gookin- are in comradeship with the devil, he has no reason not to join them. However, as soon as his decision is made, he wakes up in the forest, no trace of the meeting left behind. Goodman Brown is never the same after this occurrence and is constantly second guessing the every move of those in the town he once held so
Honor’s Assignment/American Literature
ENG 252
November 12, 2013
Hawthorne’s Works of Many Colors One of the most beautiful, if not the most stunning aspects of literature is symbolism. Whether it is the use of metaphor, simile, allegory, or myth, using contextual or cultural symbols is of the utmost importance to an author attempting to get his or her point across. The act of taking something abstract- emotion, character trait, intention, or value- and explaining them with something concrete- shape, color, sounds, animal, person-can be an author’s most helpful tool. However, out of the vast plethora of possible symbols, how does an author decide which one to use? Symbolist Nathaniel Hawthorne, most recognized for authoring …show more content…
The leading female character in the story is Hester Prynne. She is seen by her Puritan culture as a fallen woman with weak morals; however, because she is able to confess her sins, Hawthorne portrays her as a redeemed member of society. She wears a red “A” on her breast to rid herself of the guilt accompanied by her adulterous affair. Despite having to be so openly humiliated and shamed, Hester often holds her head up high and smiles. While standing on the scaffold, Hester “took the baby on her arm, and, with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbors” (Hawthorne 50). The elegantly sewn patch of red appears to make Hester beam as she stands before her …show more content…
First, we see our joyful main character leaving his young wife to go on a journey. Obviously, Goodman Brown is symbolic of the color brown (more on that in a bit), and his wife, Faith-how appropriate-is wearing a pink ribbon in her hair when he leaves her. When he leaves her, “he looked back and saw the head of Faith still peeping after him with a melancholy air, in spite of her pink ribbons” (Hawthorne 65). Once on his journey into the forest, Brown meets a man carrying a black staff. They converse and a few signs of witchcraft are prevalent. Deep in the forest, the witchcraft signs come full circle as it seems Brown has found himself in the middle of a meeting with the devil. When he realizes that almost everyone he held high up on the religious totem pole-the minister, Faith, his father and grandfather, Deacon Gookin- are in comradeship with the devil, he has no reason not to join them. However, as soon as his decision is made, he wakes up in the forest, no trace of the meeting left behind. Goodman Brown is never the same after this occurrence and is constantly second guessing the every move of those in the town he once held so