Symbolism in the Scarlet Letter

As a writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne is best known for his use of symbolism. The Scarlet Letter is considered by many to be the world's first truly symbolic novel. In fact, the author Henry James criticized the novel for having too much symbolism, adding that it trivialized symbols and made them appear mechanical. A symbol is a person, place, object, or activity that stands for something outside itself, and literary symbols take on their meaning within the context of literature. Obvious symbols in the novel include Pearl, the use of sunlight and shadow, and the scarlet letter itself. (97)
One of the most complex characters in The Scarlet Letter is Pearl. She develops into a dynamical individual as well as an extremely important symbol, one who is constantly changing. She is somewhat like a living version of the letter her mother, Hester, wears upon her chest. She is the physical consequent and reminder of the one sinful night of ecstasy Hester and Dimmesdale shared. One thing evident t...