How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use Irony In The Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne promotes the idea of socially on brought guilt through the interactions of characters and Puritan beliefs in The Scarlet Letter. He masterfully depicts a newly settled New England and it's strict religious faith, which is still seen in much of New England today. He uses symbolism, irony and to fully bring out the true potential of his story.

Nathaniel Hawthorne beautifully crafts his story by using symbolism to reveal details about the story and its characters. In The Scarlet Letter one of the most obvious and prominent symbols is the scarlet "A" placed on Hester. But many readers do not realize that to accompany the letter is Hester's daughter Pearl. Although they have the one similarity of having manifested themselves in a physical form they do evolve through the story into two completely different things. In the beginning the scarlet letter "A" represents Hester's adulterous sin. It is used against her to humiliate her and to persecute her. Through the story it slowly starts to become something more. The letter
Much of the guilt related irony that occurs in the story happens between Dimmesdale and Hester. It is ironic how Dimmesdale has an inner guilt about his adulterous sin although the town thinks of him as an angelic figure in the community. This inner guilt eventually manifests itself in a physical form which can be seen in this quote "A bodily disease, which we look upon as whole and entire within itself, may, after all, be but a symptom of some ailment in the spiritual part." (pg. 141) Also Hester being the one who was humiliated and publicly demised did not suffer as much as Dimmesdale. And quite ironically Hester survives all of the suffering she has gone through because she does not hold on to her guilt and at a point lets go of her guilt. Dimmesdale on the other hand dies of all the guilt that he has held onto this whole