Scarlet Letter Bat Symbol Essay

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LauQuan Authors use symbols to represent different meaning, objects, or ideas. One example is the bat on batman, here the bat is meant as a symbol of rebirth. When people see this symbol they instantly know who it is within seconds. In “The Scarlet Letter” Nathaniel Hawthorne creates symbolism by using the letter “A”. Here the letter is supposed to stand for adultery, but it is really meant for interpretation. There are many different ways to interpret this letter, in the beginning of the book Hester Prynne committed adultery having to wear the letter “A” on her bosom, but throughout the book it was able to change into an angel. In the beginning of the novel Hawthorne made the symbol stand for adultery. Hester had to wear this letter “A” in front of the whole town. But she did not have to as she had the chance to leave the town forever and never come back. Hester had a child inside of her that was not Roger Chillingworth's, her husband. This label is a statement of sin, Hester is…show more content…
Hawthorne changes the whole meaning of the symbolism to a completely different state of mind, something pure and good. Hester begins to help the poor and the sick and throughout the book gets respect from each of the different characters. This changed how people looked at her, instead of looking down, they looked at someone just as worthy as themselves. "Such helpfulness was found in her-so much power to do and power to sympathize-that many people refused to interpret the scarlet "A" by it's original signification. They said that it meant " Able”...(158). Hester did not appear disgraced in herself but someone who was proud to wear this letter “A”. Someone who did not care of what the meaning was supposed to stand for. Hester was regaining hope and was becoming her true self again. Once again the symbolic letter has changed into something she could be proud

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