Symbols in "The Scarlet Letter"

A
In “The Scarlet Letter,” symbols appear everywhere. Hawthorne uses several different concrete objects to represent something of deeper meaning. Among these symbols is the scarlet letter "A" itself. It is made of red cloth and beautifully embroidered. It is a literal symbol of the sin of adultery. The letter "A" appears in several places and several forms. It is the letter that appears on Hester's heart that she is condemned to wear for the remainder of her life. At Governor Bellingham's mansion it is magnified in the breastplate. It seems as though she is hidden behind it. On the night that Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold with Hester and Pearl, a huge letter A appears in the sky. Later, while in the forest, Pearl arranges a letter a on her heart that is made of eel grass. One of the most dramatic of the A's that appear in the book is the A that appears on Dimmesdale's chest. Not only does the "A" symbolize adultery, but it also has several other meanings to the different characters as well. To the community, it is simply a mark of punishment. To Hester, it is a mark of embarrassment and humiliation. To Dimmesdale, the scarlet letter is a reminder of his own guilt. To Pearl, the mark is a mysterious curiosity. To Chillingworth, the "A" is his chance to get revenge on Dimmesdale. Later, the letter symbolizes "Able" when Hester wins some respect from the townspeople.

The scarlet letter is meant to be a symbol of shame, but instead it becomes a powerful symbol of identity to Hester. The letter's meaning shifts as time passes. Originally intended to mark Hester as an adulterer, the A eventually comes to stand for Able. Finally, it becomes indeterminate: the Native Americans who come to watch the Election Day pageant think it marks her as a person of importance and status. Like Pearl, the letter functions as a physical reminder of Hester's affair with Dimmesdale. But, compared with a human child, the letter seems insignificant, and thus helps to point out the ultimate meaninglessness of the community's system of judgment and punishment. The child has been sent from God, or at least from nature, but the letter is merely a human contrivance. Additionally, the instability of the letter's apparent meaning calls into question society's ability to use symbols for ideological reinforcement. More often than not, a symbol becomes a focal point for critical analysis and debate.

The Meteor
As Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold with Hester and Pearl in Chapter XII, a meteor traces out an A in the night sky. To Dimmesdale, the meteor implies that he should wear a mark of shame just as Hester does. The meteor is interpreted differently by the rest of the community, which thinks that it stands for Angel and marks Governor Winthrop's entry into heaven. But Angel is an awkward reading of the symbol. The Puritans commonly looked to symbols to confirm divine sentiments. In this narrative, however, symbols are taken to mean what the beholder wants them to mean. The incident with the meteor obviously highlights and exemplifies two different uses of symbols: Puritan and literary.
Pearl
Another huge symbol in the novel is Pearl. She is a constant reminder of her mother's sin. When Hester removes her letter, Pearl screams and shrieks until she replaces it on her bosom. Hester cannot be associated without the scarlet letter and her sin.
Although Pearl is a complex character, her primary function within the novel is as a symbol. Pearl is a sort of living version of her mother's scarlet letter. She is the physical consequence of sexual sin and the indicator of a transgression. Yet, even as a reminder of Hester's sin, Pearl is more than a mere punishment to her mother: she is also a blessing. She represents not only sin but also the vital spirit and passion that engendered that sin. Thus, Pearl's existence gives her mother reason to live, bolstering her spirits when she is tempted to give up. It is only after Dimmesdale is revealed to be Pearl's father that Pearl can become fully human. Until then, she functions in a symbolic capacity as the reminder of an unsolved mystery.

Hawthorne also uses several minor characters in the story as symbols. For instance, the Puritans in the marketplace represent Puritanism, in general, and how strict their code is. The Puritan ideas of witchcraft, state, and church are seen in the characters of Reverend Wilson, Mistress Hibbins, and Governor Bellingham. Also, each of his major characters symbolize a view of sin its affects on a human heart.

The Rosebush Next to the Prison Door
The narrator chooses to begin his story with the image of the rosebush beside the prison door. The rosebush symbolizes the ability of nature to endure and outlast man's activities. Yet, paradoxically, it also symbolizes the futility of symbolic interpretation: the narrator mentions various significances that the rosebush might have, never affirming or denying them, never privileging one over the others

Black Man
The characters in the novel frequently debate the identity of the Black Man, the embodiment of evil. Over the course of the novel, the Black Man is associated with Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and Mistress Hibbins, and little Pearl is thought by some to be the Devil's child. The characters also try to root out the causes of evil: did Chillingworth's selfishness in marrying Hester force her to the evil she committed in Dimmesdale's arms? Is Hester and Dimmesdale's deed responsible for Chillingworth's transformation into a malevolent being? This confusion over the nature and causes of evil reveals the problems with the Puritan conception of sin. The book argues that true evil arises from the close relationship between hate and love. As the narrator points out in the novel's concluding chapter, both emotions depend upon a high degree of intimacy and heart-knowledge; each renders one individual dependent . . . upon another. Evil is not found in Hester and Dimmesdale's lovemaking, nor even in the cruel ignorance of the Puritan fathers. Evil, in its most poisonous form, is found in the carefully plotted and precisely aimed revenge of Chillingworth, whose love has been perverted. Perhaps Pearl is not entirely wrong when she thinks Dimmesdale is the Black Man, because her father, too, has perverted his love. Dimmesdale, who should love Pearl, will not even publicly acknowledge her. His cruel denial of love to his own child may be seen as further perpetrating evil.

Scaffold
The scaffold is symbolic of redemption and judgment. The entirety of Chapter 3, 'The Recognition,' illustrates the symbolism of the scaffold. Hester is sentenced to stand atop the scaffold for three hours to stand before God to receive their just judgment; "'she will be a living sermon against sin'". At the end, Dimmesdale is able to gain the strength and courage to finally confess his sin to the masses. "'Stand any here that question God's judgment on a sinner? Behold! Behold a dreadful witness of it!'". In 'The Minister's Vigil,' when all three of them, Hester, Pearl and Dimmesdale, were standing there atop the scaffold, Pearl asks Dimmesdale when they will stand there together and he replies that they will on the day of judgment , thus they will all be judged when they stand on the scaffold together.

Sun
The sun is used to symbolize guilt-free happiness. While in the forest, the sun shines down on Pearl and she seems to retain some of this sunshine, but the sun "runs away" from Hester because of the mark on her breast. The forest is another good symbol used in The Scarlet Letter. It symbolizes an area where Pearl can play openly and freely and where Hester can remove her letter. It is an area opposed to the strict Puritan community and laws. However, it is also a place where the witches come and sign their souls to the devil. Therefore, the forest can also symbolize evil and darkness.