The book the Scarlet letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Research Paper

The book the Scarlet letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - Research Paper Example The meteor – A message from God Symbolism is nothing but employing concrete symbols to display a detailed and deeper meaning. Symbols sometimes present a moral belief, religious belief or value. Literature works are never rich without the use of symbolism. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's celebrated work The Scarlet Letter, the novelist lavishly uses symbols that have a deeper meaning. This can be considered as the most symbolic piece of literature that the American literature has ever seen. The splendid use of symbolism in this works has contributed much to the rise of American literature. The most obvious symbol in the work is the scarlet â€Å"A† that the main character is required to wear. The novelist makes use of symbolism to explain how the Puritans and their people dealt with sin and how that affects sinners. The scarlet letter ‘A’ shows sin Hester performed and the way Puritans treated Hester’s sin. The entire story is centered on this symbol Scar à ¢â‚¬Å"A†. Hester Prynne gives birth to a baby after committing adultery. She struggles to build a new life of dignity and repentance. In the case of Hester Prynne also society inflicts her with isolation and discrimination. As she committed adultery she was forced to wear a scarlet â€Å"A† which is a punishment for her. She suffered complete isolation as society considered her as nothing but an adulteress. As she had to wear the scarlet â€Å"A† she remained fully ostracized from the community. Hester’s inner longings never confirmed to the rigid laws of the puritan society. She was thus secluded from the society that made her contemplate the sin and other events in her life. Solitude made her make an attempt to free herself from the pricking of the sin. Hester is publicly humiliated and thrown to isolation by the people of Boston. She carries the badge of humiliation and isolation. Hester could escape from the solitude by leaving the Massachusetts Bay Co lony. She could remove the scarlet letter and lead a normal life if she had left the place. Hester, however, behaves indifferently as Chillingworth informs her that the town leaders are planning to relieve her from the scarlet letter. The solitude did not deprive Hester of her clear thoughts and determination. She desired to determine her own identity rather than allowing others to determine her identity. Hester never desired a mercy from others. She rather effectively used the life of isolation to realize her mistake and rebuild her life again. Isolation produced a positive effect on Hester. Hester considers the scarlet letter as a symbol of her sin and painful experiences. She doesn’t want to escape from her past and rather desired to learn from her past failures. Solitude is no longer a curse for Hester. Thus, Hester very determinedly integrates her sin into her life rather than escaping from its consequences. The symbol scarlet â€Å"A†, describes the life of the c entral character in the work. The novelist has explained the life of the central character through the symbolic scarlet â€Å"A† which she wears. The letter â€Å"A† has a better abstract meaning, â€Å"A† means American. During those periods America was a religion was a more religion-based country than it is today. The Puritan way of life influences Boston and several other regions of America. Americans were heavily punished for going against the Christian religion. Yet another interpretation for letter â€Å"A† is ‘able’