Symbolism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter

The Effects of Symbolism The Scarlet Letter is the magnum opus of Nathaniel Hawthorne and one of the most groundbreaking creations in American literature. As Hawthorne takes a society established to be a role model for all other immigrants like a City upon a Hill, he challenged the religious and political basis that formed our great nation. Simultaneously he discusses the morality, and moreover the immorality of the human race as a whole. The Scarlet Letter as a whole is an allegory of sin and the effects that sin has on the human condition. Expressed in the very first chapter of the novel, the puritans centered their lives, both physically and mentally, on the ideas and beliefs behind the prison and the cemetery. While Hawthorne centered his novel on the connotations associated with the scarlet “A” on Hester’s chest, he uses a plethora of symbols to personify various motifs throughout the novel. …show more content…
Puritans interpreted the bible quite literally and believed that because of Adam and Eve’s initial sin, they were all condemned to hell unless otherwise predestined for salvation by their lord. Puritans also believed in a constant, inescapable evil presence in all of their lives: Satan. This presence was always drawing their lives closer to sin and tempting them to stray from the divine path, twisting morals and slithering through the depths of their minds like a serpent lurking on the jungle floor. Hawthorne uses various symbols to personify the eternal presence of this temptation. The most prevalent symbol Hawthorne uses is the scarlet “A” placed constantly upon Hester’s