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Home SparkNotes Literature Study Guides The Scarlet Le er Themes, Motifs & Symbols
CONTENTS
Context
Nathaniel Hawthorne
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Plot Overview
Character List
Analysis of Major
Characters
Themes, Motifs &
Symbols
Summary &
Analysis
The Custom-House:
Introductory
Chapters 12
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Chapters 34
Chapters 56
Chapters 78
Chapters 910
Chapters 1112
Chapters 1314
Chapters 1516
Chapters 1718
Chapters 1920
Chapters 2122
Chapters 2324
Important Quotations
Explained
Key Facts
Suggestions for
Further Reading
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The Scarlet Le er
The scarlet le er is meant to be a symbol of shame,
but instead it becomes a powerful symbol of identity
to Hester. The le ers meaning shis 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 le er functions as a physical reminder of
Hesters aair with Dimmesdale. But, compared with
a human child, the le er seems insignicant, and
thus helps to point out the ultimate meaninglessness
of the communitys system of judgment and
punishment. The child has been sent from God, or at
least from nature, but the le er is merely a human
contrivance. Additionally, the instability of the le ers
apparent meaning calls into question societys ability
to use symbols for ideological reinforcement. More
oen than not, a symbol becomes a focal point for
critical analysis and debate.
The Meteor
As Dimmesdale stands on the scaold with Hester
and Pearl in Chapter 12, 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 dierently by the rest
of the community, which thinks that it stands for
Angel and marks Governor Winthrops entry into
heaven. But Angel is an awkward reading of the
symbol. The Puritans commonly looked to symbols
to conrm 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 exemplies two
dierent uses of symbols: Puritan and literary.
Pearl
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 mothers scarlet le er. She
is the physical consequence of sexual sin and the
indicator of a transgression. Yet, even as a reminder
of Hesters 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, Pearls
existence gives her mother reason to live, bolstering
her spirits when she is tempted to give up. It is only
aer Dimmesdale is revealed to be Pearls father that
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