Scarlet Letter "…This scarlet letter is his mark!" (176 Hawthorne). The character has become victim of sin, but she grows from this sin and guilt. She fought to make life better: despite, her place as a social outcast. The symbolism of the letter “A” changes from the meaning of adultery, to able, to angelic qualities, to Pearls living persona of the letter “A” on her mother’s bosom. Hester fell in love with another man, a man other than her husband. The emotional state leads to the “A” first definition. The town forced her to wear an “A” on her chest; this was a punishment for her sins. She was forced to carry her sin everywhere; “the scarlet letter burned on Hester Prynne's bosom. Here was another ruin, the responsibility of which came partly
…show more content…
She used this skill to embellish the “A” on her bosom. The townsfolk took quite a liking to Hester’s embroidery. They didn’t think of her as a sinner as much when they looked at the fancy embroidered “A” on her chest. Therefore, "the letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, —so much power to do, and power to sympathize, —that many people refused to interpret the scarlet “A” by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength” (13.3 Hawthorne). Hester used her trade for the sake of the people in town; it was her only way to support herself and Pearl. She went against every law of humanity that they had, by supporting herself without a …show more content…
Pearl is a wild child, with her own take on life. Pearl is Hester’s reminder everyday of the sin between her and Dimmesdale: “this child of its father’s quilt and its mother’s shame has come from the hand of God, to work upon her heart… It was meant for a blessing—for the one blessing in her life”(Hawthorne). Hester has a love, hate relationship with her daughter. Pearl can never fit into the Puritan way of life. She will always have a different idea of what everyone else believes. Pearl notices what people try to hide from the world. She noticed what Dimmesdale was hiding before her mother; “Mother! – Mother! – Why does the minister keep his hand over his heart?”(Hawthorne) She realized the parts of the scarlet letter that was missing from sight. Pearl is the very in embodiment of the scarlet letter. In conclusion, the symbolism changes four different times throughout the book; through infidelity, Hester’s ability, heavenly nature, and Pearl identifying with the “A”. Hester had grown into a new person with her daughter by her side. The two together were a power that would soon be what the world will become. The world has changed so much, since the days when the church was
She used this skill to embellish the “A” on her bosom. The townsfolk took quite a liking to Hester’s embroidery. They didn’t think of her as a sinner as much when they looked at the fancy embroidered “A” on her chest. Therefore, "the letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, —so much power to do, and power to sympathize, —that many people refused to interpret the scarlet “A” by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength” (13.3 Hawthorne). Hester used her trade for the sake of the people in town; it was her only way to support herself and Pearl. She went against every law of humanity that they had, by supporting herself without a …show more content…
Pearl is a wild child, with her own take on life. Pearl is Hester’s reminder everyday of the sin between her and Dimmesdale: “this child of its father’s quilt and its mother’s shame has come from the hand of God, to work upon her heart… It was meant for a blessing—for the one blessing in her life”(Hawthorne). Hester has a love, hate relationship with her daughter. Pearl can never fit into the Puritan way of life. She will always have a different idea of what everyone else believes. Pearl notices what people try to hide from the world. She noticed what Dimmesdale was hiding before her mother; “Mother! – Mother! – Why does the minister keep his hand over his heart?”(Hawthorne) She realized the parts of the scarlet letter that was missing from sight. Pearl is the very in embodiment of the scarlet letter. In conclusion, the symbolism changes four different times throughout the book; through infidelity, Hester’s ability, heavenly nature, and Pearl identifying with the “A”. Hester had grown into a new person with her daughter by her side. The two together were a power that would soon be what the world will become. The world has changed so much, since the days when the church was