Warning: Use of undefined constant referer - assumed 'referer' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 102

Warning: Use of undefined constant host - assumed 'host' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 105

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 106

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 109
Symbolism Of The Scarlet Lette - Papers Online

Symbolism Of The Scarlet Lette

The Scarlet Letter, written in the 1800’s by Anti-Transcendentalist Nathaniel Hawthorne, tells the story of Hester Prynne. Young Hester lived in New England, about the same time witch trials were still conducted, and she is found guilty of carrying a baby whose father she refuses to confess. The punishment for this crime is from then until the rest of her life, Hester had to bear a stitched “A” on her breast. This “A” carries the namesake of the book, The Scarlet Letter. Although thought to be an embarrassment and form of torture for Hester, this scarlet letter seems to become a sense of pride for Prynne. This scarlet letter grows to become a part of ...

Want to read the rest of this paper?
Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay
and over 50,000 other term papers

This use of public humiliation for Hester was thought to be necessary to punish and teach Prynne a lesson. This puts much focus on the way people harass and torture others simply because they feel other people have done things morally wrong and deserve punishment. While the “wrong-doers” are being punished, the punishers in turn commit wrongs. Here many questions arise. Was it wrong for Hester to keep her child’s father a secret from the public? Was is wrong for her to have to live her life as a walking, breathing example of what that Boston community thought was bad?
Another usage of symbol in this book was what the scarlet letter becomes for Hester. This punishment which was branded into her soul for eternity starts to shift gears as the novel progresses. The sentence for her crime starts to become more a part of her than she would ever have imagined. Although the origin of the “A” to the public was, is, and always will be for her ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays.
Write better papers. Get better grades.

Already a member? Login

CITE THIS PAGE:

APA
MLA
Chicago
Turabian

Symbolism Of The Scarlet Lette. (2004, July 3). Retrieved August 2, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Symbolism-Of-The-Scarlet-Lette/10461

"Symbolism Of The Scarlet Lette." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 3 Jul. 2004. Web. 2 Aug. 2025. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Symbolism-Of-The-Scarlet-Lette/10461>

"Symbolism Of The Scarlet Lette." Essayworld.com. July 3, 2004. Accessed August 2, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Symbolism-Of-The-Scarlet-Lette/10461.

JOIN NOW

Join today and get instant access to this and 50,000+ other essays

PAPER DETAILS

Added: 7/3/2004 07:43:31 AM
Category: English
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 588
Pages: 3

Save |

Report

SHARE THIS PAPER

SAVED ESSAYS

Save and find your favorite essays easier