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Avery Aguila

O’Neill

English 3 AP

23 August 2019

A Literary Analysis of ​The Scarlet Lette​r

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ​The Scarlet Letter​, written in 1850, follows the account of

protagonist Hester Prynne being accused of adultery in the 17th century Massachusetts Bay

Colony. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne uses an array of symbolism to portray the concepts of

betrayal, hardship, and change through the eyes of a woman marked for her sins, as well as the

ongoing theme of fate and free will.

The first and most prominent use of symbolism is the letter itself. On a surface-level

analysis, this embroidered letter “A” is a symbol of both sin and betrayal, initially representing

“Adultery.” However, as time passes, and Hester faces the isolations and punishments of her

“wrongdoings,” the letter becomes a symbol of all of the immense work, grace, and persistence

shown through her trials and tribulations of being a social outcast, thus giving the “A” a new

meaning: “Able.” In fact, to emphasize this, the narrator writes: “They said it meant Able, so

strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength” (Hawthorne, 113). Hester, despite all of her

circumstances, continues to provide aid to the same townspeople who exiled her. “Much of the

time, which she might readily have applied to the better efforts of her art, she employed making

coarse garments for the poor. It is probable that there was an idea of penance in this mode of

occupation, and that she offered up a real sacrifice of enjoyment in devoting so many hours to

such rude handiwork” (Hawthorne, 36). Hawthorne really emphasizes Hester’s devotion to
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redeeming herself, and solidifying the meaning of “Able” to the red embroidery on her chest,

thus progressing the ongoing theme of free will.

The next prominent example of an important symbol throughout the novel is the

character Pearl Prynne. Not only is she a literal and physical manifestation of guilt, but her name

itself shows the dichotomy of her entire character arc. To most, pearls bring upon riches and

good fortune, but Pearl has damned Hester Prynne to a life of hardship and solitude. Pearl stays

at Hester’s side much like the letter attached to her chest and remains a constant reminder of her

previous adultery.

Another use of symbolism is “The Black Man.” Throughout the book, a handful of

characters allude to the “The Black Man” as a manifestation of evil, or Satan himself. This not

only goes along with the motif of religious imagery, but creates the minor theme: as humans all

contain free will, they also contain corresponding evils. “The Black Man” is simply an

allegorical reference to the malevolence within all humans. The mere concept of a “Black Man”

could be a direct reference to the human psyche. Hester Prynne asks “​Hast thou enticed me into a

bond that will prove the ruin of my soul?” (Hawthorne, 33) to whom she perceives is the “Black

Man.” Although the character was later revealed to be Roger Chillingworth, the reader is led to

speculate​ ​whether this was a cry to her inner self, to her own free will.

In conclusion, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s usage of symbolism throughout the novel paints a

vivid picture of Colonial life as witnessed by Hester Prynne, who faces the utmost difficulties of

being the torment of public eye. Prominent symbols throughout the story, much like the

aforementioned embroidery, characters, or religious apparitions, really emphasize the details and
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concepts that are portrayed by Hawthorne’s theme: the effect of free will, and how it forever

changed Hester Prynne, the woman forever marked with a scarlet letter.
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Works Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. ​The Scarlet Letter​. HRW Library, 1995.