Symbols and Motifs: A Glossing Over

The Scarlet Letter makes extensive use of symbolism. Often, the symbolic nature of the symbols comes from the character's perceptions of the symbol based on their prior expierence.

For example, Pearl
Pearl is a little girl, a strange little girl, but still a little girl. Her mother sees in a complicated manner. On one hand, she is a perpetual reminder of her guilt, but on another, she is Hester’s only chance for redemption. Hester’s life is basically over, except for raising Pearl. By raising Pearl well, Hester can atone for her sin. Dimmesdale sees Pearl in a similarly complicated manner. She is the physical reminder of his guilt, but her lack of a father is also calls Dimmesdale to admit everything and take up his true role with society. Pearl is also the link between Hester and Dimmesdale. Pearl is constantly described as magical, and this lends to the complicated and confused way in which she is perceived.

The scaffolding
This is the physical reminder of Dimmesdale’s betrayal and also his escaped punishment. What is interesting about this symbol, however, is how it is described when Dimmesdale sees it. The description gives insight into his condition. Also, the scaffolding is in the center of the town, and it is sort of a reference point all the events have through out the book. It is significant that the main events of the book both start and end on the scaffolding.

The Forest
The forest is representative of the dark sides of your subconscious. It is your own internal fears and beliefs. Often these beliefs go against society. That is meeting the black man. Hester and Dimmesdale are lost in the forest after there sin and are able to escape by being together.

Mirrors are used through out the novel. Most of the time they distort the image they reflect, and this reflection normally is the “true” reflection of the object or character.

The light and dark motif plus the red
It is common for light to represent the truth and goodness and happiness, while the dark represents your hidden self and sin, and Scarlet Letter uses these; however, the book also uses the color red. Red is normally somewhere in the middle of the black to white spectrum and is representative of sin’s that you are sorry for or world experience.

The Scarlet Letter
The most interesting thing about the scarlet letter is that is almost impossible to identify what it signifies. The symbol is amorphous. It not only changes through out the novel, but what it represents changes based on the readers own experiences. I see it as sort of an interactive symbol.