The Scarlet Letter
...scarlet letter ceased to be a stigma which attracted the world's scorn and bitterness, and became a type of something looked upon with awe, yet with reverence, too" (273). In the novel The Scarlet Letter the main character, Hester Prynne, is judged simply upon the scarlet "A" worn on her chest as a punishment for committing adultery. The author really focuses the point of this piece of literature on the element of identity, as it being an essential first-impressionist in people's minds, therefore obscuring them from ever truly finding out the deeper story behind the victim. In this classic novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne incorporates this vital theme through means of symbolism, characterization, and use of irony.
Symbolism was the author's most intense form of portraying identity in general. The entire novel revolves around some piece of information, location, idea, or quote which supports this theme in a beautiful and original way. One of the biggest forms of symbolisms was Hester Prynne's infamous scarlet letter. This was the letter "A" which was worn upon her bosom to show all the townspeople that she had, in fact, committed adultery. It was to be worn by her in order for her to be shamed, but by the narrator's tone and diction, he made it appear more as if it were a symbol of empowerment. It is evidently clear, especially, when said:
The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teacher, stern and wise ones, and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss (209).
Here, the author depicts both sides of the spectrum to this scarlet letter. On one hand, it is a representation of humiliation; an object that she should most instinctively hate. However, the author also shows that it taught here to be strong and pioneer roads for other women. This is where...
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