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Color Symbolism In The Scarlet - School Essays

Color Symbolism In The Scarlet

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is story about Hestor Prynne, a woman who commits a sin and is filled with many feelings, including pride, surrounding that sin. Many of those around Hestor's sin reflect similar emotions and feelings. Hawthorne employs many symbols throughout The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne uses the colors red, black, and white to represent Hestor's emotions and the emotions of those around her.
The most frequently employed color symbol by Hawthorne is red. Red most obviously represents Hestor's sin, as shown by her scarlet "A" she is forced to wear. Her scarlet letter, like her sin, is something she must always deal with and is something she can never escape. ...

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of a wild red rosebush growing outside the prison where Hestor was imprisoned. This is representing Hestor's pride and passion, growing in a place not fitting, similar to how Hestor's passion did not fit in with the Puritan society. As the sunlight shines through a red and yellow window in the governor's house, a red light shines throughout the room. This is symbolizing Hestor's passion spreading throughout the Puritan society.
Hawthorne also uses black and darkness as symbols throughout The Scarlet Letter. Black is used to represent evil and hiding. Hawthorne calls the prison the "black flower of civilized society," meaning it is evil and a place concealing the truth. Frequently Hawthorne makes references to darkness turning to light, suggesting darkness as a state of hiding where the person will not accept life's experiences and holds back. Pearl's eyes are called a "small black mirror," meaning they are empty and filled with sin as they reflect Hestor's scarlet ...

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Color Symbolism In The Scarlet. (2007, December 14). Retrieved January 13, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Color-Symbolism-In-The-Scarlet/75819

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 12/14/2007 06:57:11 PM
Category: Book Reports
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 579
Pages: 3

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