The Real Meanings of the Scarlet Letter Many people are labeled and publicly judge by things they do. Others live with a hidden guilt.
This is what happens in “The Scarlet Letter”, with Hester and Dimmesdale. Hester’s letter represents adultery but eventually it represents her change and what she is able to do. Dimmesdale’s letter isn’t visible but he does carry his own letter and he accepts it. In the Scarlet Letter, Hester’s letter represents adultery and sin. Marcus, Fred H says that later on “the scarlet letter is also referred to the fatal symbol” (“the Scarlet Letter": The Power of Ambiguity”). To have the scarlet letter is a fatal and dreadful thing. Marcus also says “ Man had marked this woman sin by a scarlet letter” …show more content…
“The scarlet letter was a stain of sin and a reminder of what she had done (Hawthorne, Nathaniel 98) (“The Scarlet Letter”). The letter did not only reminded her of what she had done but it also let everyone else know what she did. Michael Ragussis also said that “A is for adulterer”( “Family Discourse and Fiction in the Scarlet Letter”). While being married Hester had a child with someone else which is called adultery. That is what the A on her dress was suppose to represent. When people saw Hester and the letter on her chest they knew what she had done, they knew she had committed adultery. Hester’s letter is a public symbol of her sin and …show more content…
A quote from John Gatta is the “letter A, type of Alpha” (“The Apocalyptic End of the Scarlet Letter”). An alpha is a leader and someone others see as a model. This is important because this shows that throughout that story people do not see Hester’s letter as adultery but instead that she was able to overcome her problems. Sacvan Bercovitch tells us that “the scarlet letter has many meanings and we are forced to pick one (“The A-politics of Ambiguity in the Scarlet Letter”). At the beginning of the book people from the town see the letter as adultery but eventually with Hester 's action they see past her letter and see what she is able to do. Sacvan Bercovitch also says that Hester “conceals the letter”(“The A-politics of Ambiguity in the Scarlet Letter”). This is important because not only did the town people but Hester also saw past the letter and did not let the letter stop her. She did good deeds and the townspeople started seeing that she was able to change. Sacvan Bercovitch says that “Hester takes the letter and voluntarily resume that she is a “ women stained with sin” (“The A-politics of Ambiguity in the Scarlet Letter”). Hester knows that the letter stains her with sin but that does not stop her. Many people judge her at the beginning. Ernest Sandeen tells us that “seven years after the imposition there are many people
This is what happens in “The Scarlet Letter”, with Hester and Dimmesdale. Hester’s letter represents adultery but eventually it represents her change and what she is able to do. Dimmesdale’s letter isn’t visible but he does carry his own letter and he accepts it. In the Scarlet Letter, Hester’s letter represents adultery and sin. Marcus, Fred H says that later on “the scarlet letter is also referred to the fatal symbol” (“the Scarlet Letter": The Power of Ambiguity”). To have the scarlet letter is a fatal and dreadful thing. Marcus also says “ Man had marked this woman sin by a scarlet letter” …show more content…
“The scarlet letter was a stain of sin and a reminder of what she had done (Hawthorne, Nathaniel 98) (“The Scarlet Letter”). The letter did not only reminded her of what she had done but it also let everyone else know what she did. Michael Ragussis also said that “A is for adulterer”( “Family Discourse and Fiction in the Scarlet Letter”). While being married Hester had a child with someone else which is called adultery. That is what the A on her dress was suppose to represent. When people saw Hester and the letter on her chest they knew what she had done, they knew she had committed adultery. Hester’s letter is a public symbol of her sin and …show more content…
A quote from John Gatta is the “letter A, type of Alpha” (“The Apocalyptic End of the Scarlet Letter”). An alpha is a leader and someone others see as a model. This is important because this shows that throughout that story people do not see Hester’s letter as adultery but instead that she was able to overcome her problems. Sacvan Bercovitch tells us that “the scarlet letter has many meanings and we are forced to pick one (“The A-politics of Ambiguity in the Scarlet Letter”). At the beginning of the book people from the town see the letter as adultery but eventually with Hester 's action they see past her letter and see what she is able to do. Sacvan Bercovitch also says that Hester “conceals the letter”(“The A-politics of Ambiguity in the Scarlet Letter”). This is important because not only did the town people but Hester also saw past the letter and did not let the letter stop her. She did good deeds and the townspeople started seeing that she was able to change. Sacvan Bercovitch says that “Hester takes the letter and voluntarily resume that she is a “ women stained with sin” (“The A-politics of Ambiguity in the Scarlet Letter”). Hester knows that the letter stains her with sin but that does not stop her. Many people judge her at the beginning. Ernest Sandeen tells us that “seven years after the imposition there are many people