Hawthorne’s Diversified Use of the Scarlet Letter Hawthorne’s use of symbolism within “The Scarlet Letter” constitutes the use of objects, characters, settings and etc. to help unfurl an extravagantly woven tale around the ‘moral’ of the book from beginning to end. Within this though Hawthorne’s use of symbolism is one at times that takes certain signature symbols within his stories and applies a different meaning of that symbol towards the characters within his stories such as the scarlet letter in this case. The scarlet letter is the main symbol of the book itself and Hathorne’s highbrow use of literary techniques helps to apply different meanings of the symbol to different characters which can be mainly seen through Hester, Dimmesdale and
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“Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait where the worst may be inferred!” (Hawthorne 286). Hawthorne had craftily woven this moral into the book as the story had been told in which the moral relates to saying that one should not act as if they are perfect without flaw but instead should show at least shed the tiniest of light onto a flaw that they may have even if it is their worst. Symbolism in its simplest nature means for the use of universal signs as a way of representing ideas or other hidden meanings. One such use of his symbolism can be seen in many of his characters such as Hester who after committing adultery had not strived to be seen again as an equal but instead through the rest of the novel used this as the showing of one of her worst flaws. Hawthorne’s use of symbolism not only lies with relating towards the moral of the book but also having many of the symbols in his book having a different number of meanings. One such as being the scarlet letter itself which is the most reoccurring symbol throughout the novel and has differing meanings with multiple …show more content…
Many of the symbols that do reside within the novel are ones that can be seen with having multiple connotations associated with them with the prime one being seen as the scarlet letter. The scarlet letter’s meaning is one that differentiates from character to character throughout the book with Hester, Dimmesdale and Pearl being choice examples of that. Therefore, is it not to be plainly seen that an author’s use of symbolism has an absolute effect on their work while with those symbols being used to partake into a more diversified meaning upon that literary
“Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait where the worst may be inferred!” (Hawthorne 286). Hawthorne had craftily woven this moral into the book as the story had been told in which the moral relates to saying that one should not act as if they are perfect without flaw but instead should show at least shed the tiniest of light onto a flaw that they may have even if it is their worst. Symbolism in its simplest nature means for the use of universal signs as a way of representing ideas or other hidden meanings. One such use of his symbolism can be seen in many of his characters such as Hester who after committing adultery had not strived to be seen again as an equal but instead through the rest of the novel used this as the showing of one of her worst flaws. Hawthorne’s use of symbolism not only lies with relating towards the moral of the book but also having many of the symbols in his book having a different number of meanings. One such as being the scarlet letter itself which is the most reoccurring symbol throughout the novel and has differing meanings with multiple …show more content…
Many of the symbols that do reside within the novel are ones that can be seen with having multiple connotations associated with them with the prime one being seen as the scarlet letter. The scarlet letter’s meaning is one that differentiates from character to character throughout the book with Hester, Dimmesdale and Pearl being choice examples of that. Therefore, is it not to be plainly seen that an author’s use of symbolism has an absolute effect on their work while with those symbols being used to partake into a more diversified meaning upon that literary