Imagine committing a sinful crime and being publicly shamed for it until death. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a novel set in the area of present day Boston, Massachusetts, in the 1800s. The story surrounds the life of Hester Prynne, a Puritan woman who has committed adultery and had a child with an unknown man. This specific act of sin was frowned upon in the Puritan culture, so the punishment Hester received was public humiliation by wearing a red letter ‘A’ on her chest at all times. Throughout the story many symbols appear, such as a rosebush, the letter ‘A’, and the Black Man, each representing happiness, sin, and the life lessons learned. In the beginning of The Scarlet Letter, the reader is given a description of the
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In the book, when a character has done wrong, it is said to be a mark of the Black Man. For example, when Pearl asks her mother to tell her all about the scarlet letter, hester states, “Once in my life I met the Black Man! This scarlet letter is his mark!” (chapter 16, page 124) Here, Hester is explaining that the Black Man is the cause of her sins. Roger Chillingworth is also being compared to the devil because of his sly and corrupt behavior throughout the novel. When Hester is speaking with Chillingworth she asks, “Art thou like the Black Man that haunts the forest round about us?” (chapter 4, page 51) Hester makes this comment because Chillingworth’s actions appear rather close to the description of the devil. However, the Black Man is also seen in Reverend Dimmesdale because of his sins and lying throughout the story. For instance, while Hester and Pearl are in the woods, Dimmesdale approaches and Pearl questions if it truly is the devil, himself. Hester declines and states that it is the minister, but Dimmesdale clutches his heart because of the mark left by the Black Man, also. (chapter 16, page …show more content…
The rosebush outside the prison doors represent a sense of hope and happiness for the future. The scarlet letter ‘A’, although having multiple meanings, provides an overall portrays the lessons learned during Hester Prynne’s life. The Black Man, however, serves as an overall evil character that takes the place of the devil, himself. Each of these symbols provides an analogy for the process of redemption; committing an act of evil, hoping for happiness and forgiveness, and learning lessons along the
In the book, when a character has done wrong, it is said to be a mark of the Black Man. For example, when Pearl asks her mother to tell her all about the scarlet letter, hester states, “Once in my life I met the Black Man! This scarlet letter is his mark!” (chapter 16, page 124) Here, Hester is explaining that the Black Man is the cause of her sins. Roger Chillingworth is also being compared to the devil because of his sly and corrupt behavior throughout the novel. When Hester is speaking with Chillingworth she asks, “Art thou like the Black Man that haunts the forest round about us?” (chapter 4, page 51) Hester makes this comment because Chillingworth’s actions appear rather close to the description of the devil. However, the Black Man is also seen in Reverend Dimmesdale because of his sins and lying throughout the story. For instance, while Hester and Pearl are in the woods, Dimmesdale approaches and Pearl questions if it truly is the devil, himself. Hester declines and states that it is the minister, but Dimmesdale clutches his heart because of the mark left by the Black Man, also. (chapter 16, page …show more content…
The rosebush outside the prison doors represent a sense of hope and happiness for the future. The scarlet letter ‘A’, although having multiple meanings, provides an overall portrays the lessons learned during Hester Prynne’s life. The Black Man, however, serves as an overall evil character that takes the place of the devil, himself. Each of these symbols provides an analogy for the process of redemption; committing an act of evil, hoping for happiness and forgiveness, and learning lessons along the