Essay Archive - The Scarlet Letter: The Symbol of the Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter: The Symbol of the Scarlet Letter
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne's
scarlet token liberates her more than it punishes her. First of all,
Hester's soul is freed by her admission of her crime; by enduring her
earthly punishment, Hester is assured of a place in the heavens. Also,
though her appearance is much hampered by the scarlet letter, her mind is
freed by it, that an intellectual passion rises from her isolation and
suffering. Finally, it defines her identity, for the letter makes Hester
the woman that she is; it gives....
|