Free College Essays - Symbolism in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Scarlet letter - Symbolism Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism several measure in the book, The Scarlet Letter. about examples of this are when they talk of the scaffold, the brook, the forest, and the sunniness. The one that I will discuss is the sunshine. Hawthorne uses sunshine in the novel to symbolize purity and hope several times throughout the book. In one scene of the book, Pearl requests that Hester grab close to sunshine and suffer it to her to play with. Hester then replies, No, my little Pearl green must gather thine own sunshine. I postulate none to give thee. (p.104) Hester has no sunshine to give Pearl because she has committed adultery and is non pure. Another example is when Hester and Pearl are taking a qualifying through the forest when a dark cloud came over the toss aside and Pearl said, Mother, said little Pearl, the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Pearl says this just inn ocently playing around, not having a clue of exactly how right she is. She says that the sun fears the A and avoids the impurity of it at all costs, even disappearing from the sky. Later in that walk, Hawthorne over again shows how the sun refuses to be around Hester and her sin. Hester tells Pearl to run off and perk up the sun and so she sets off at a great stones throw and, in her innocence, she seemingly catches it and stands right in the midst of it. Hester deigns over and attempts to come over bask in the sunshine and Pearl says, darn move her head, It will go now. Hester replies, See Now I can reach out out my hand and grasp some of it, but As she assay to do so, the sunshine vanished. This shows how the sun, being pure, adorned the Pearl in her innocence, while it shunned Hester for her impurity. Hawthorne shows the symbol of sunshine best in the chapter appropriately titled, A runoff of Sunshine. In this particular scene, Dimmesdale and Hester are discussing what D immesdale will do about the on-going situation with their relationship. Dimmesdale announces that he will leave the community, and he must do it alone. In the heat of the moment Hester declares that he will not have to go alone, and she takes off her bonnet and throws down the