The Marvelous Meaning of the Scarlet Letter

Life at present has motleyd remarkably from flavour in the 1800s. During the colonial period, little than 11. 1% of births occurred inside the first nine months of marriage. A reported 95% of Americans today have had antenuptial awake. In todays society, premarital sex is non considered a violate to most people. In the 1800s, it was a diametric story. In the novel The crimson Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne was found guilty of fornication, mark with a reddened A, and shunned by the townsfolkshipan thoroughgoing punishment by modern standards.This A that Hester was compel to embroider onto all told of her clothing symbolized non further her transgress, only the A also held consequence for opposite characters. It act ased the guilt of the man with whom Hester committed adultery Reverend Dimmesdale. Hester neer revealed his identity to the town, and Dimmesdale felt as if he could non confess his inferno. Dimmesdale was consumed with penitence, m arking himself with an A of his own. bone, Hesters daughter, was another character who found inwardness in the violent garner, however hers was such(prenominal) different from either Hesters or Dimmesdales.Pearl was the product of her parents sin. She was the sanguine earn. For Pearl, the ruby earn symbolizes life, and she did not understand wherefore it ca apply her gravel so often degrade. Essentially, the symbolic representation of the reddened letter changed over the course of the novel from something negative, epitomizing shame and sin, to something positive, representing absolution and vitality. The scarlet letter most plainly symbolizes Hesters sin adultery. She was forced to wear it as punishment, a cruel reminder of her immorality.Hester had to make the letter herself, so instead of letting it de bewitching her, she make it beautiful On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and baseless flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting thread to the apparel which she wore but greatly beyond what was allowed by the sumptuary regulations of the colony (37). The fact that she embroidered the letter so delicately and so beautifully completely unmake the purpose for wearing it.In this way, the scarlet letter represents Hesters independence and free will. Despite the fact that Hester was adapted to defy the town in that small way, the township dictum a different meaning of the scarlet letter. Instead of simply symbolizing the sin of adultery, the town allowed the letter to symbolize Hester herself. When they impressioned at her, they saw not a human being, not Hester Prynne, but they saw a living sermon against sin, until the ignominious letter be engraved upon her tombstone (44). The town used Hester and the scarlet A to strike fear into their children, to deter them against the sin of adultery.The letter cloaked Hester Prynne. However, the towns view of Hester changed, thus altering the symbolic meaning of the scarlet letter. Hester never offered irritation or irksomeness. She never battled with the public, but submitted uncomplainingly to its worst usage (110). She helped those in need and was always there to offer a helping hand. Most people in the town had no choice but to refuse to realize the scarlet A by its original signification. The A no longer exemplified adultery, but rather it delineated up to(p). The town acknowledged Hesters strength, which was what managed to change the symbolism of the A. While Hester Prynne was embracing the A, Reverend Dimmesdale was struggling to turn tail his own scarlet letter. Dimmesdale was respected and admired by the town, which caused him extreme guilt. He watched as Hester was publicly humiliated, in time he felt as if he could not confess because of his occupation. He was afraid of the light his lightheaded confession would be viewed (99) by the town. He would be refused as a minister, and seen as the remorseful imposter that he was (99).Dimmesdale became so consumed with his guilt and shame, that he became physically ill. The A represented his self-punishment, which was worse than if he had confessed publicly. In fact, Dimmesdale envied the ease with which Hester dealt with her scarlet letter so much that he confessed to her how much his mystery burned within him Happy you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your doorknocker Mine burns in secret Thou little knowest what a second-stringer it is, later the torment of a s til now years cheat, to look into an eye that recognizes me for what I am (131).Dimmesdale was forced to choke with the guilt of his misdeed, whereas Hester did not have to hide what she had done. The scarlet letter represented his sin as much as it represented hers, only he could not confess his. When he was with Heste r, he felt relief because Hester knew the truth about what he had done. It is when Dimmesdale at long last confessed to his sin and claimed Pearl as his daughter that he was commensurate to let go of his guilt, changing what the scarlet letter meant to him. He revealed his involvement with Hester by telling the town to look again at Hesters scarlet letterHe tells you that, with all its mysterious horror, it is but the shadow of what he bears on his own breast, and that even this, his own red stigma, is no more than the typewrite of what has sear his inmost content (174). Dimmesdale removed his garment to reveal an A, marked onto his own chest, whether by Dimmesdales own hand, or by the hand of God. For him, the confession freed him of his guilt and shame, allowing him to forgive himself. The scarlet letter that formerly symbolized his sin, represented his courage to confess and his ability to finally forgive himself.Dimmesdale died after that, because the release of his enamo ur on the scarlet letter that tortured him, allowed him to release his grip on a life that which was haunted by his sin. A character with a unique spot in the novel, as well as an kindle perception of scarlet letter was the product of the sinPearl. The scarlet letter ultimately symbolized the life and have sex of Pearl. She was pure and had the ability to see the true selves of others, which she understood when she said Come away, make Come away, or yonder Black Man will childs play you He hath got hold of the minister already.Come away, let, or he will gravel you But he cannot catch little Pearl (92). She knew that Dimmesdale had sinned, although she did not know what the sin was, and she knew that she was innocent and pure, and could not be touched by sin. Although the meaning of the scarlet letter did not change much for Pearl, exactly what it meant to her shone brightly through the speech on the pages. Pearl knew that the great letter A (122) had given life to her. Hest er thought that Pearl did not know what the letter meant, because of the fact that Pearl evermore asked her mother for the meaning of the A.Perhaps Pearls innocence kept her from seeing the sin that both her mother and Dimmesdale had committed, but it is clear when Hester asked Pearl if she knew what the letter meant, that Pearl indeed understood it represented sin It is for the same(p) reason that the minister keeps his hand over his heart (122). Since Pearl was able to sense the wrongdoing of others, she knew that Hesters physical scarlet letter embroidered on her bosom and Dimmesdales internal scarlet letter seared into his chest were both results of sin.She could not grasp that her mothers letter meant anything atrocious because it was so acquainted(predicate) to her she had lived her entire life seeing the letter upon her mothers chest. To Pearl, the A represented her mother and their life together. In the end of the novel, the scarlet letter appeared to represent perhaps th e most important element of The reddened Letter Family. Hester and Dimmesdale struggled throughout the book to forgive for each one other and forgive themselves. They were not able to juncture together as one unit, protecting and amiable their daughter, Pearl.Both characters sought to find meaning from the scarlet letter, deviation from the negative one bound to it by the town. However, as Dimmesdale built the courage to confess his sin of adultery, he was able to let go of his guilt and train Pearl. The A indeed might have represented an A for able. For, even though the town had unlucky Mistress Prynnefor the remainder of her natural life, to wear a mark of shame upon her bosom (43), and Dimmesdale suffered from the weight of shame, they were able to overcome the stigma of the scarlet letter and bring life to the marvelous meaning of the scarlet letter Love.