Scarlet Letter

            Hester Prynne commits the act of adultery, a very serious sin. She is constantly reminded by the scarlet A on her chest, but is also reminded by her child Pearl. While a pearl is a pure and beautiful gem the child Pearl is the embodiment of sin. Acting on impulse and laughing in the face of distraught present by the Reverend Dimmesdale. She displays nothing but irony and the true consequence of adultery. A young child is said to be innocent, yet Pearl acts in a manner that is way above the expectations of a kid her age. Her actual image is presented when looking at the armor, which distorts her image into a way that makes her look like an imp, a creature that Hester refuses to admit that her child resembles.

            The scaffold scenes are arguably the most important scenes in the novel. They show the progression of the novel, yet continues on the Hawthorne’s displaying of hypocrisy and irony. The scaffold itself is in the shape of an A, which is a common symbol in the story for adultery. However, another feature is that it is above all of the chanting crowds while they are yelling and scolding Hester. During the first scaffold scene she is being yelled at by all sides for her sin, yet she is the only one that is keeping her silence in regards to the situation. The scaffold is a location in which everyone can point the finger, but refuse to look at them. It also symbolizes the truth as well. This is why the scaffolds are so important. Every time someone is either on or around the scaffold there is something new revealed to the public or to the reader. For example, the final 2 scenes that include the scaffold are when the reverend talks to Hester about revealing the truth to everyone in the end. In the final scene the reverend reveals all of his wrongdoings and dies at the scaffold.

            The prison door in the beginning of the novel represents how the people see Hester. All of the people in the town only view her as cold and lifeless; yet never actually get to know her. In relation to the door Hester has iron studs created by society that does not let them accept her as another human, though they do not know what is inside the door. The oak is old and most likely rotting away, similar to how Hester was during her time in the prison. There is some form of tenderness and love within Hester, which is represented by the rose bush next to the door. This bush is Pearl who is known to have the beauty of a child, but still have thorns. This is another form of irony because of the fact that there is so much hatred and disdain towards another person in a Utopian society.