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Scarlet Letter-Symbolism and Character

In the Scarlet Letter there is a great deal of symbolism. Nathanial Hawthorne is said to be one of the best authors in American Literature who used symbolism. A symbol is usually a concrete object used to represent an idea that is intangible, which often has to do with morals, religion, or an abstract concept. Symbols can be static, which means unchanging, or some can change depending on the perspective they are put in. So considering all of these “rules” for symbolism I chose to write about the scarlet letter A. The scarlet letter has a variety of meanings in the story depending on its context. The letter A stands for adultery, self-punishment, and regret; although, at the end of the story the letter A stands for able or angel.
The scarlet letter is an elaborately gold-embroidered A that is worn over Hester Prynne’s heart. Hester wears the A on her dress throughout the whole story, except in one part when she takes it off to talk to Arthur Dimmesdale, the secret fathe...

Posted by: Adriana Alvarez

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