Jeana Vasconcellos
English 1B
Final Essay
Symbols and Symbolism in Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the most profound symbolists in American
Literature. Hawthorne uses many things for symbolism and the key to
understanding his novels is to study his symbols. According to the Nathaniel
Hawthorne, a symbol is something used to stand for something else. A symbol is
most often a concrete object used to represent an idea, often moral, religious,
or a concept of value. An allegory in literature is a story where characters,
objects and events have a hidden meaning and are used to present some
universal lesson (Hawthorne 453). The Scarlet Letter is an ideal example for
symbols because the Puritans saw the world through allegory. The Puritans saw
patterns like the meteor in the sky and objects such as the scaffold as religious or
moral interpretations for human events. Hawthorne’s symbols change
throughout the novel- particularly his characters, the scarlet “A”, light and
darkness and the settings of the forest and village all serve a symbolic purpose.
In the beginning of the novel, Hawthorne describes the letter A on Hester’s
bosom as a symbol of adultery. Hester is made to wear the letter A for the
town’s people to see that she had committed adultery by bearing a child with
someone other than her husband Roger Chillingworth. Hester is brought out to
publicly display what is embroidered on her chest, “When the young woman-
the mother of this child stood fully revealed before the crowd… on the breast of
her gown in fine red cloth surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and
fantastic flourishes of gold thread,” (Hawthorne 40). Most of the town’s people
were in shock and amazed by her beauty even though the big red letter A on
her chest stood for adultery.
In the novel the letter A has a variety of meanings and as the story
unfolds, this letter comes to mean other things to Hester and the people. As the
novel progressed the meaning of the letter A changed from having a negative
meaning of adultery to a positive meaning of Able. Hester has given many hours
to the sick, poor and the troubled and she began to gain the town’s people
acceptance and respect. “Such helpfulness was found in her-so much power to
do and power to sympathize-that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A
by its original signification. They said it meant Able…” (Hawthorne 158). The
letter A appears in many places other than on the bosom of Hester Prynne. At
night while Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold he sees the scarlet letter in the
sky as a reminder of his own guilt or a sign that the Governor Winthrop has
become an angel. The Puritans initially saw the A as Hester’s mark of adultery
and a symbol of her guilt. Later Hester helps the sick and poor the A is seen to
represent “Able”; this has changed her in the eyes of the community.
According to Erick Musick, a founder of the Hawthorne Society Club, Pearl
is another important symbol in the novel, The Scarlet Letter. Pearl is the strongest
of these allegorical images because she mostly represents symbolism and little
reality. Pearl is the scarlet letter in human form and a living version of the
physical consequence of sexual sin. Yet, even as a reminder of Hester’s sin, Pearl
is more than a punishment to her mother: she is also a blessing. Pearl gives Hester
is reason to live, lifting her spirits when she is tempted to give up. Pearl senses
and knows things she should not, making her a symbol and she is also the symbol
that ties Hester and Dimmesdale together. “In her was visible the tie that united
them. She had been offered to the world, these seven years past, as the living
hieroglyphic, in which was revealed the secret they darkly sought to hide,- all
written in this symbol, - all plainly manifest-had there been a prophet or
magician skilled to read the character of flame! And Pearl was the oneness of
their being.” (Hawthorne 141). Growing up Pearl is not accepted by anyone
and screams at other children knowing they do not accept her.
According to Professor Carl Bumgarner who studies oyster biology, a pearl
is actually an oyster irritant. Pearls are created in the stomach of an oyster when
an irritant manages its way into the shell of the mollusk. To protect itself form
intruders, the oyster produces liquid known as Nacre. Nacre is secreted over and
over into layers enveloping the irritant making it smoother and this continuation
of this process creates a pearl. In most cases, the oyster irritant can be rejected
by the oyster and the oyster dies. The name Pearl in The Scarlet Letter is a symbol
to an actual pearl from an oyster. Pearl Prynne is rejected by the Puritan society
the way a pearl or “irritant” is rejected by an oyster.
Pearl Prynne is her mother’s most precious gift and her only reason to go
on in life, but also priceless treasure purchased with her life. The product of
Hester’s sin and agony, Pearl was a painfully constant reminder of her mother’s
violation of the seventh commandment: Thou shall not commit adultery (Musick
5). Hester herself felt that Pearl was not only a blessing, but also a punishment
worse than death. Hester is tormented by her daughters teasing and questioning
about the scarlet A and it’s relation to Minister Dimmesdale. Pearl is mentioning
this forbidden and painful secret and unwillingly inflicts agony upon Hester. Pearl
is truly the human symbol for the sin of adultery. Not only is Pearl a symbol for
Hester but for Dimmesdale also. More important Pearl leads Hester and
Dimmesdale to accept their sin. Hester’s only tie to the Minister Dimmesdale is
Pearl and Hester treasures Pearl for that. Pearl is the only one who demands that
Dimmesdale holds hands with Hester and herself in public and to recognize
them. Pearl does not want her mother to run away from her sin, she wants her
mother to face her sin. Pearl also wants Hester to realize that she is not the worst
person in the world. In Pearl’s eyes she will not accept Dimmesdale as her father
until he acts like it. In order for Dimmesdale to act like her father, he must accept
his sin and make it known to the public. ‘“Doth he love us?’ said Pearl, looking
up with acute intelligence into her mothers face. ‘Will he go back with us, hand
in hand, we three together, into town?’” (Hawthorne 145).
Pearl serves as a messenger from God and as a symbol of all the
happiness and content in Hester Prynne’s life. In the end, Dimmesdale stands on
the scaffold and announces his sin in the light of day. The confession finally gives
Dimmesdale a sense a peace. Pearl who kisses Arthur Dimmesdale as he lies
dying on the scaffold, after admitting his sin in public. Pearl is transformed when
Dimmesdale makes his confession and has longed for his love and acceptance
in the open public. Pearl is free to become a human being. All along, Hester
knew their was a redeemable nature in her daughter, and here she sees her
faith rewarded.
