Literary Elements In Scarlet Letter

“Such helpfulness was found in her, - so much power to do, and power to sympathize.” (110) In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses literary elements such as: symbolism, irony and conflict to show that the punishment imposed on one by others may not be as destructive as the guilt we impose on ourselves.

In the beginning of the novel the community is unwelcoming to Hester Prynne and her newborn Pearl. This creates a conflict against her and the society; while she knows she committed an act of sin most of the community feels the need to harass her. Throughout the time Hester Prynne was in conflict with the community she was seemingly already at war with herself. Hester Prynne was at war with her conscience about telling the community who her mister was, she knew that her mister was a man of higher order and did not be the one to cause mayhem. Arthur Dimmesdale, who happens to be Hester Prynne's mister also seems to be at war with his morals. Arthur Dimmesdale is a man of the church, but he is struggling with keeping his place as a reverend and holding back on such a sin committed, he becomes so
When the scarlet letter was imposed onto Hester Prynne no one put her down as much as she already did, as the community mocked her and bullied her she was already shameful. Being that one of the conflicts happen to be man vs. society when the community harasses Hester Prynne while holding her newborn baby, Pearl, they gossip and tell her to “show off” the A. Hester Prynne tries her best to cover up the A with Pearl’s body, and as she continues walking through the hostile crowd she keeps her head down. (35-37) Although the community wants Hester to have even more severe punishment, she knows of the sin she’s committed and is already more ashamed of herself than they can make her