The Meaning behind the Scarlet Letter In 1860, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter which served as a frontier for religious criticism. Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter satires Puritans for their hypocritical nature, as the main characters, Hester and Dimmesdale, are judged for their adultery. Many who read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter believe the letter “A” to serve as a consistent symbol throughout the book, but on the contrary, the meaning of the letter “A” is very dependent on the character. While the meaning of the letter “A” is static for Hester and Dimmesdale, it is constantly changing to satisfy the selfish needs of the colony.
During the first scaffold scene, the members of the Puritan society interpret the letter …show more content…
Years pass since Hester’s adultery, and Hester isolates herself from the community and focuses one of her great talents, needlework. Because of Hester’s great needlework for the colony, “many refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification,” and the letter “A” was changed to mean “Able.” (134.) Much like in the first scaffold scene, Hester’s scarlet letter serves to entertain to the needs of the colony, rather than to help Hester repent from her sin. When Hester provides service to the colony, the society decides to change the meaning of the “A.” This change makes the selfish nature evident, because only after the congregation receives goods from Hester do they consider easing her punishment. During this period of time, Hester’s viewpoint of the letter “A” has remained static. Hester’s letter is still described as “glimmered,” and this is a continuing language from the first scaffold scene, where Hester beautifully embroidered her letter, as she had accepted her punishment. (133) Hester also describes her feelings towards the letter as “pride” with “humility,” which is Hawthorne’s humble description of “accepting.” (134.) The congregation changed the meaning of the letter “A” from “Adulterer” to “Able,” while Hester’s interpretation has remained
During the first scaffold scene, the members of the Puritan society interpret the letter …show more content…
Years pass since Hester’s adultery, and Hester isolates herself from the community and focuses one of her great talents, needlework. Because of Hester’s great needlework for the colony, “many refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification,” and the letter “A” was changed to mean “Able.” (134.) Much like in the first scaffold scene, Hester’s scarlet letter serves to entertain to the needs of the colony, rather than to help Hester repent from her sin. When Hester provides service to the colony, the society decides to change the meaning of the “A.” This change makes the selfish nature evident, because only after the congregation receives goods from Hester do they consider easing her punishment. During this period of time, Hester’s viewpoint of the letter “A” has remained static. Hester’s letter is still described as “glimmered,” and this is a continuing language from the first scaffold scene, where Hester beautifully embroidered her letter, as she had accepted her punishment. (133) Hester also describes her feelings towards the letter as “pride” with “humility,” which is Hawthorne’s humble description of “accepting.” (134.) The congregation changed the meaning of the letter “A” from “Adulterer” to “Able,” while Hester’s interpretation has remained