How Does Hawthorne Create A Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter

Intertwining the power of love and rules can be found in a lot of mystery and romance novels. But, none of them can compare to the love created by Nathaniel Hawthorne in the book entitled, The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne’s performance of symbolism is displayed throughout the tale. The main character, Hester Prynne had committed adultery with the Puritan minister, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. The author uses the scarlet letter, made into an “A” by Hester Prynne for her sin, throughout the story to symbolize Hester’s identity of herself. In the beginning of the story, Hester Prynne identified the “A” on her bosom to be what everyone else viewed it, “Adulterer.” Hawthorne described the letter as a, “...taint of deepest sin in the most sacred quality of human life,” in other words the letter was a reminder of her sin (10). Later the meaning of the letter fluctuated. The townspeople found it to mean that she was “Able.” The townspeople compared it to, “...so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength,” (113). …show more content…
Reverend Dimmesdale thought the symbol in the sky was a sign that he should wear the “A” as Hester does. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale knew the true meaning of the letter in the sky but, the community saw it differently. They viewed it as their, “...good Governor Winthrop was made an angel...” (110). The community thought that it was a sign from God that Governor Winthrop had made it into the kingdom of heaven. The Puritans had looked at symbols to mean what they thought was the divine thought or point of view. In this kind of circumstance, the “A” can symbolize whatever someone