The Technique Used in The Scarlet Letter
...em to take on various meanings. In addition, he not only portrays objects and people as symbols, but he also uses symbols in some of his characters. The scarlet letter The letter “A” is one of the symbols that is most obvious, yet one of the most profound. It is the literal symbol of the sin of adultery. However, throughout the novel this letter takes on different meanings to different characters. The scarlet letter is meant to be a symbol of shame, but instead it becomes a powerful symbol of identity to Hester. The letter’s meaning shifts as time passes. Originally intended to mark Hester as an adulterer, the “A” eventually comes to stand for “Able.” Finally, it becomes indeterminate: the Native Americans who come to watch the Election Day pageant think it marks her as a person of importance and status. Like Pearl, the letter functions as a physical reminder of Hester’s affair with Dimmesdale. But, compared with a human child, the letter seems insignificant, and thus helps to point out the ultimate meaninglessness of the community’s system of judgment and punishment. The child has been sent from God, or at least from nature, but the letter is merely a human contrivance. More often than not, a symbol becomes a focal point for critical analysis and debate. For instance, though Hester and Dimmesdale are both branded with the scarlet "A", there is a world of difference between their badges of shame, for Hester's scarlet token is embroidered in dazzling gold th...