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Symbolism In The Scarlet Lette - Papers Online

Symbolism In The Scarlet Lette

Often in a literary work, the author strives to use literary devices in order to convey certain points to a reader on a different level. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses several literary devices to give his novel The Scarlet Letter depth. One of these devices is symbolism. Hawthorne utilizes symbolism to convey certain points or themes to the reader by using ordinary objects. Three of the elements he uses as symbols are the settings of the Puritan town and the forest and weather.
The first of the two main settings is the Puritan town which includes the prison and the scaffold. The Puritan law is based on their religion. The town maintains a sense of strict moral values and disciplinary measures ...

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is another symbol Hawthorne uses. Like the prison, it also symbolizes sin and guilt. “The very ideal of ignominy was embodied and made
manifest in this contrivance of wood and iron” (60). It provides the setting of several important scenes in the novel. It is where Hester is forced to stand for three hours as punishment, where Dimmesdale, Pearl, and Hester stand in the night, and where Dimmesdale reveals himself and dies. It is also a symbol of truth because Dimmesdale’s great revelation occurred there.
The second setting is the forest just outside of the town. It proves to be a kind of dramatic foil to the idealistic Puritan society. The Puritans maintain a community that thrives on purity and lack of sin. The forest, on the other hand, is a symbol of lawlessness and desecration. It is shrouded in mystery and retains a dark and foreboding air. The Puritans abhor the forest because it stands as a perfect example of evil. However, the witches that live in the ...

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Symbolism In The Scarlet Lette. (2008, December 7). Retrieved July 15, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Symbolism-In-The-Scarlet-Lette/94248

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 12/7/2008 03:59:05 AM
Category: Book Reports
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 878
Pages: 4

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