symbolism in the scarlet letter
...es to wear the letter because she realizes that it shows her ability to overcome adversity and knows that her sins cannot be erased from her past. The letter also has a meaning in Dimmesdale’s life because he feels like he also should be wearing one and feels a tremendous amount of guilt and sorrow for his sin. When Hester and Dimmesdale both pass away, Hester is buried next to them and together they share an ‘A’ on their tombstones. This symbol is used to develop the theme in the novel because it shows the depression and anguish two people feel because of their sins and how it destroys at least one of their souls, that of Dimmesdale’s. Another symbol that develops the theme is Hester’s young daughter, Pearl, “herself a symbol, and the connecting link between the two,” as in Hester and Dimmesdale. Pearl is of “great price - purchased with all she had - her mother’s only treasure!” Pearl is a living version of her mother’s scarlet letter that “God, as a direct consequence of the sin which man thus punished, had given her a lovely child,” as Pearl is a physical consequence of sexual sin. Although Pearl’s birth can be seen as a mistake, as it was not planned, she is also a blessing because she gives Hester reason to live. Pearl is not only a reason for Hester to live but also the reason she stays away from bad influences. Hester “knew that her deed had been evil; she could have no faith, therefore, that its result would be good.” Even though Pearl is seen as just a consequence from her mother’s transgression, she is the most valuable thing Hester has in her life, thus the name Pearl. When Hester becomes completely ostracized from society Pearl is all that she has. When Hester is invited to a witches gathering by Mistress Hibbins, she refuses but says if she didn’t have Pearl, she would have probably agreed to. However, since Pearl is seen as the consequence from her mother’s sin, she often causes her mother and Dimmesdale torment and anguish throughout the novel. This ties in with the theme that sin is often followed by consequence, because Hester’s affair with Dimmesdale was followed by the unexpected pregnancy of Pearl and imprisonment. Another consequence that was followed by the affair was having to wear the scarlet letter. One of the more obvious instances of symbolism in the novel is when the ‘A’ is imprinted in the sky by a falling meteor, “so powerful its radiance, that it thoroughly illuminated the dense medium of cloud betwixt the sky and earth.” It is seen by Dimmesdale, Hester and Pearl during their meeting in the scaffold. Dimmesdale believes the meteor means that he should also wear the scarlet ‘A’. The townspeople interpret it differently thinking the meteor stands for “Angel” to mark Governor Winthrop's entry into heaven. This helps to develop the theme greatly and is a very important turning point in the book. “And there stood the minister, with his hand over his heart,” as Dimmesdale starts to really feel like he too should be wearing the letter A. Since it is still a secret that he is indeed Pearl’s father, his unconfessed sin begins to destroy his soul. The Scaffold also plays an important role throughout the book. It signifies the judgment of God and the Puritan community. Hawthorne uses the scaffold to divide his book into three equal parts. Whenever the scaffold is mentioned, it is part of the three major climaxes of the story. The scaffold also represents the "strict moral code" of the Puritan community. It displays Hester's sin to the whole town. It offers a safe place for Dimmesdale where Chillingworth cannot reach his burdened heart. It is the only place in which Dimmesdale must confess his sin to God and the community. The scaffold can also be said to represent the acknowledgment of sin. Here, both Hester and Dimmesdale paid the price of admitting their sins. In the end, when Dimmesdale takes Hester and Pearl by the hands and leads them to the top to openly admit his sin to the world, the scaffold is used to show unity. When this is done, it signifies that finally Dimmesdale has come to triumph over his sin and accept his daughter. This develops theme in a different way because it shows how confessing a sin can remove the great burdens that it may have bee...