Literary Symbolism

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Nathaniel Hawthorne's works, "Young Goodman Brown" and "The Scarlett Letter" in relation to Ralph Waldo Emerson's view that the entire world is emblematic, due to the idea that "the whole of nature is a metaphor of the human mind". In particular, the paper examines Hawthorne's use of emblematic symbols in the short story "Young Goodman Brown" and in his novel "The Scarlet Letter". The paper specifically examines the symbol of the pink ribbon of Goodman Brown's wife Faith and the scarlet "A" embroidered on the dress of Hester Prynne in "The Scarlet Letter".

From the Paper:

"The reader is first introduced to Prynne's "badge" in Chapter Two of The Scarlet Letter when she emerges from jail--"On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A." Upon being led to her "place of punishment" for committing adultery with Arthur Dimmesdale, all eyes are immediately drawn to the scarlet "A" which "had the effect of a spell, taking (Hester) out of the ordinary relations with humanity and enclosing her in a sphere by herself" (Bell, 163-164). Obviously, this scarlet emblem upon Hester's dress seems to emit a life of its own, much like a flaming torch burning in the darkness. It is also a symbol of her "evil doings," for Hester "hath raised a great scandal. . . in godly Master Dimmesdale's church" (Bell, 170).
"In Chapter Five, this weird property of the scarlet "A" is made even more pronounced when Hester walks out of prison--"She came forth into the sunshine which. . . seemed, to her sick and morbid heart, as if meant for no other purpose than to reveal the scarlet letter on her breast" (Bell, 185). Notice that Hawthorne intentionally equates Hester's "heart" with the scarlet letter, i.e., both are emblematic/symbolic of the color red, much like Faith's pink ribbons."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bell, Millicent, Ed. Nathaniel Hawthorne: Collected Novels and Short Stories. New York: The Library of America, 1983.
• Richardson, Robert D., Jr. "Ralph Waldo Emerson." Dictionary of Literary Biography. Vol. 59: "American Literary Critics and Scholars, 1800-1850." Ed. John W. Rathburn. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Research, Inc., 1987, 108-129.

More papers on Literary Symbolism:

• Analytical Essay # 131820 : "Literary Symbolism in Novels of Exile"
• Book Review # 101714 : "Literary Symbolism in Novels of Exile"
• Book Review # 97011 : "Symbolism in "The Glass Menagerie"

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