The Role of Color in The Scarlet Letter Essay - 973 Words

Throughout history, colors have been used to symbolize different meanings based on associations with culture, history, politics, and religion. In The Scarlet Letter, the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism through colors such as red, black and white in the form of sunlight, to represent emotions and ideologies of Hester and the people around her. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the color red significantly throughout The Scarlet Letter to show its importance of symbolism in the emotions of sin and passion that it represents. The first example in The Scarlet Letter is the red rose that is growing by the prison door (2), which represents Hester’s pride and passion. This rose is growing in a place that is not very fitting, which is identical†¦show more content†¦The first occurrence that Hawthorne adds to The Scarlet Letter is when he explains the prison as â€Å"the black flower of civilized society† (2). By this Hawthorne means that the prison is a place of evil and a place that conceals the truth, in the event that Hester is being held there with the truth about her adulterous act. Hawthorne also describes Pearl’s eyes as having â€Å"another face, in the small black mirror†, instead of holding her mother’s â€Å"own miniature portrait† (48). This explains that Pearl’s eyes were empty and filled with sin as she came into life as a result of Hester’s scarlet letter. Another example of how Hawthorne uses the color black, as symbolism, is when Chillingworth states: â€Å"Even in the graveyard here at hand, they are new to me. I found them growing on a grave, which bore no tombstone, nor other memorial of the dead man, save these ugly remembrance. They grew out of his heart, and typify, it may be, some hideous secret t hat was buried with him, and with he had done better to confess during his lifetime† (83). This takes place when Roger Chillingworth brings Arthur Dimmesdale herbs with dark, flabby leaves. By this quote, Hawthorne implies that the herbs that Chillingworth had collected had no meaning but to signify evil that had been growing out of the grave, the remains that were left from the dead man who had been buried there. Another major part of The Scarlet Letter also comes from the symbolism of the color blackShow MoreRelatedSymbolism in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay681 Words   |  3 Pageswhy the painter made those images while another person looks at it and just calls it â€Å"dumb† without even trying to understand it. The latter person completely loses faith in the painting and misses the actual point. When people first read The Scarlet Letter, they notice not only the characters, but also the objects, which may be non-living, but carry tons of meaning. They no longer view everything as random occurring objects in our daily lives or as a mere coincidence, but try to find the specificRead MorePsychoanalytic Analysis : The Scarlet Letter 1354 Words   |  6 PagesPsychoanalytical Analysis Throughout The Scarlet Letter there are many Freudian symbolisms that can be found scattered throughout this American classic. In nearly every chapter there is at least one reference to a phallic or yonic symbols to demonstrate the longing for a male figure in both Pearl and Hester’s life, and the symbolism to depict the shift from id to ego. One of the earlier metaphors to symbolize Hester’s suppression is the scaffold that she stands upon in the first chapter of theRead MoreScarlet Letter Symbolism Essay1118 Words   |  5 PagesNature is a theme that often serves as mere fluff in novels, with little to no purpose other than to produce a setting for the reader to imagine. However, this is far from the case in The Scarlet Letter. 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The forestRead More Symbols and Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Let ter1178 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism   in The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne isnt noted for perfecting any famous literary style, for writing multiple best sellers, or even for contributing largely to classic American literature.   His only real claim to fame is The Scarlet Letter: a novel that was originally only meant to be yet another Hawthorne short story.   Because of this, it actually possesses many short story characteristics.   It is simpler and more complete than his other novels. (James 285)   It also hasRead MoreEssay about Symbolism Used in The Scarlet Letter1070 Words   |  5 PagesIn Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, symbolsim is constantly present in the actual scarlet letter â€Å"A† as it is viewed as a symbol of sin and the gradally changes its meanign, guilt is also a mejore symbol, and Pearl’s role in this novel is symbolic as well. The Scarlet Letter includes many profound and crucial symbols. these devices of symbolism are best portayed in the novel, most noticably through the le tter â€Å"A† best exemplifies the changes in the symbolic meaning throughout the novel. Read MoreDifferent Interpretations Of The Scarlet Letter1609 Words   |  7 PagesDifferent Interpretations of The Scarlet Letter Symbolism is everywhere around us in our daily lives, even if you don’t notice it right away. Traffic signs, company names, and even colors can all be examples of symbolism. Dr. Stephanie Carrez’ article, Symbol and Interpretation, focuses on and interprets the different types of symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter. 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Nathaniel Hawthorne takes the theme of sin committed by Hester Prynne prior to her affair with Arthur Dimmesdale and shows how it affects the lives of the people involved. Convicted of adultery by Bostons Puritan leaders, she is forced to wear a bright red A as a symbol of adultery over her breast to represent her wrongdoing to the townspeople. As a result of this si n a child is born, named