Scarlet Letter's Use of Symbolism to Show Psychological Effects of Sin
"The act
gross and brief, and brings loathing after it." This was
said by St. Augustine, regarding immorality. This is discovered to be very
true by the main characters in The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne's
story of a woman (Hester) who lives with the Puritans and commits adultery
with the local minister (Dimmesdale). In his novel, Hawthorne shows that
sin, known or unknown to the community, isolates a person from their
community and from God. He shows us this by symbols in nature around
the town, natural symbols in the heavens, and nature in the forest.
First we see two symbols in the town that show how sin isolates people.
In the first chapter we see a plant which stands out, "But on one side of the
portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rosebush, covered
with its delicate gems" (Hawthorne, 46). This rosebush is like Hester, for it
too stands out as wild and different. She wears her scarlet letter among the
solemnly dressed Puritans as this rosebush wears its scarlet blossoms
amidst a small plot of grass and weeds. They both stand separate from their
surroundings. Later in the book we hear a conversation between
Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth (Hester's unknown husband). They are
discussing the origin of a strange dark plant that Chillingworth discovered. "I
found them growing on a grave which bore no tombstone, nor other memorial
of the dead man, save these ugly weeds that have taken upon themselves to
keep him in remembrance. They grew out of his heart, and typify some
hideous secret that was buried with him " (Hawthorne, 127). Here we have
a special case of one who was not discovered by men to have sinned during
their lifetime. However, having avoided punishment in life, this person has
been isolated in death. This person tried to keep wrongdoing a secret, hiding
it within himself. Yet the sins committed could not be kept secret,
evidenced by their final
said by St. Augustine, regarding immorality. This is discovered to be very
true by the main characters in The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne's
story of a woman (Hester) who lives with the Puritans and commits adultery
with the local minister (Dimmesdale). In his novel, Hawthorne shows that
sin, known or unknown to the community, isolates a person from their
community and from God. He shows us this by symbols in nature around
the town, natural symbols in the heavens, and nature in the forest.
First we see two symbols in the town that show how sin isolates people.
In the first chapter we see a plant which stands out, "But on one side of the
portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rosebush, covered
with its delicate gems" (Hawthorne, 46). This rosebush is like Hester, for it
too stands out as wild and different. She wears her scarlet letter among the
solemnly dressed Puritans as this rosebush wears its scarlet blossoms
amidst a small plot of grass and weeds. They both stand separate from their
surroundings. Later in the book we hear a conversation between
Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth (Hester's unknown husband). They are
discussing the origin of a strange dark plant that Chillingworth discovered. "I
found them growing on a grave which bore no tombstone, nor other memorial
of the dead man, save these ugly weeds that have taken upon themselves to
keep him in remembrance. They grew out of his heart, and typify some
hideous secret that was buried with him " (Hawthorne, 127). Here we have
a special case of one who was not discovered by men to have sinned during
their lifetime. However, having avoided punishment in life, this person has
been isolated in death. This person tried to keep wrongdoing a secret, hiding
it within himself. Yet the sins committed could not be kept secret,
evidenced by their final