“The Scarlet Letter” was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850, the actual story takes places in the 1600’s in a Puritan society. Hawthorne was an anti-transcendentalist. An anti-transcendentalist means that humans are naturally evil , society keeps them in check and nature is evil. Hawthorne used symbols throughout the story to represent his ideas, symbols are a representation of qualities or ideas. In his novel “The Scarlet Letter”, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the symbolism of the wild rosebush, Pearl, and sunlight and the forest to represent the overall theme of good vs evil.
First, Hawthorne uses the wild rosebush as a symbol of good vs evil. The rosebush is the first of the symbols that Hawthorne introduces into the story, which …show more content…
As hester and Pearl are walking through the woods by Hester’s cabin Pearl was dancing in the sunlight that shown through the trees. Pearl later noticed that the sun would not touch her mother. Pearl says, “Mother...the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom.” (Hawthorne 165) Hawthorne is explaining that the sun does not want to touch hester due to her sin. The sun is represented as God’s favor, truth, purity and all that is good. Hawthorne being an anti-transcendentalist he believes that nature is evil and uses the forest as a representation of sin and evil, which allows Pearl (being innocent) to be able to walk in the sun and Hester being forced to stay in the dark. As Hester and Pearl continue to take a stroll in the forest Hester makes an attempt to try to stand in the sun with Pearl but it vanishes before she can get close. Hester takes a seat away from the sun in the canopy of leaves above her and Pearl, still standing in the sun that Hester so desperately wants to be in, wants a story. Pearl demands a story about the black man who lurks in the forest. Pearl says, “The Black Man offers his book and iron pen to everyone who meets him along these trees.” (Hawthorne 167). The forest, due to what Hawthorne believes is already evil and full of sin. The Black Man that Pearl talks about is another symbol of sin and or could be the
First, Hawthorne uses the wild rosebush as a symbol of good vs evil. The rosebush is the first of the symbols that Hawthorne introduces into the story, which …show more content…
As hester and Pearl are walking through the woods by Hester’s cabin Pearl was dancing in the sunlight that shown through the trees. Pearl later noticed that the sun would not touch her mother. Pearl says, “Mother...the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom.” (Hawthorne 165) Hawthorne is explaining that the sun does not want to touch hester due to her sin. The sun is represented as God’s favor, truth, purity and all that is good. Hawthorne being an anti-transcendentalist he believes that nature is evil and uses the forest as a representation of sin and evil, which allows Pearl (being innocent) to be able to walk in the sun and Hester being forced to stay in the dark. As Hester and Pearl continue to take a stroll in the forest Hester makes an attempt to try to stand in the sun with Pearl but it vanishes before she can get close. Hester takes a seat away from the sun in the canopy of leaves above her and Pearl, still standing in the sun that Hester so desperately wants to be in, wants a story. Pearl demands a story about the black man who lurks in the forest. Pearl says, “The Black Man offers his book and iron pen to everyone who meets him along these trees.” (Hawthorne 167). The forest, due to what Hawthorne believes is already evil and full of sin. The Black Man that Pearl talks about is another symbol of sin and or could be the