The Power Of Love In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

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Love – it is so powerful it can create or destroy lives; in The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne does both. For over a century, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel of forbidden love in Puritan Boston has captivated audiences. In this scene from the book, Hawthorne exploits symbolism, the mode of description, and pathos to illustrate the transformative power of love. Hawthorne begins by saying, “Let us not look back, … See! With this symbol, I Undo it all…” This symbol talks about the scarlet letter A that Hester wears on her bosom. The scarlet letter is a powerful source for determining identity in this story; the community marked Hester as an adulteress but the power of the letter lets her determine her own identity and defines herself as able.

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