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…and a knowledge of how it could have been, Hawthorne wrote his novel The Scarlet Letter, a religious and psychological allegory about a lustful sin in Colonial Boston and the years that follow. Like all allegories, the novel uses symbols, such as little Pearl…

…Scarlet Letter - Punishment and Death Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter deals with many themes, among those including punishment and death. Utilizing the theme of punishment, the central character, Hester Prynne, was forced to wear an embroidered…

…are much more interesting to read and analyze to truly appreciate a classic piece of literature. In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne makes extensive uses of symbolism. People and objects are symbolic of events and thoughts. The letter…

…A critic, Edward Wagenknecht explains that the scarlet letter upon Hester's breast in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter "had not done its office." This means that the actions of the magistrates punishing Hester for her sin is like usurping God's…

…Applying Universal Themes from the Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter involves quite a few themes that can be related to today including: playing the role of God, sin, and guilt. People continue to play the role of God throughout our society, just…

…The Result of Sin Sin is often followed by punishment, whether it be humiliation or even death. Punishment in the form of humiliation or death is one of the many themes Nathaniel Hawthorne deals with in his novel The Scarlet Letter. Through…

…The Scarlet Letter, written in the 1800’s by Anti-Transcendentalist Nathaniel Hawthorne, tells the story of Hester Prynne. Young Hester lived in New England, about the same time witch trials were still conducted, and she is found guilty of carrying…

…The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a novel that takes place in a Puritan community during the middle of the seventeenth century. The story is about a woman named Hester Prynne who has an affair with a man by the name of Reverend…

…’t have instantly recognizable meanings. Rather they take their meanings from the work of which they are part" ("The Scarlet Letter" 8). An example of symbols that most take for granted would be the rosebush, which Hawthorne selects a flower from…

…The most significant symbolic meaning of Pearl in the novel is her association with the scarlet letter "A". When Hester stood fully revealed before the crowd, it is her first impulse to clasp Pearl closely to her bosom; "not so much by an impulse…