Ｓｙｍｂｏｌｉｓｍ ｉｎ Ｔｈｅ Ｓｃａｒｌｅｔ Ｌｅｔｔｅｒ

Abstract：Nathaniel Hawthorne is the greatest American romantic novelist during the nineteenth century. This paper researches the symbolism in his masterpiece The Scarlet Letter from the aspect of the symbolic meaning of the scarlet letter.

Key words： The Scarlet LettersymbolismScarlet

Ⅰ．Introduction

Based on the materials of the colonial New England， Hawthorne tried his best to portray people's ideological conflict and psychological movement.

His ideological content and artistic quality are best demonstrated in his masterpiece The Scarlet Letter which is the first symbolic novel in the development of American literature.

Throughout the whole novel， symbolism plays a very important role. Especially， the scarlet letter is endowed a symbolic meaning.

Ⅱ．Different Meanings of the Scarlet Letter \"A\"

A. Biblical Archetype

The connection between the colour \"scarlet\" and sin could trace its origin back to the Bible.

Scarlet in the Bible means decadence， lewdness and sin. In the traditional culture of Christianity， red also stands for the blood shed by Jesus Christ and his followers. Hester's scarlet letter \"A\"， the young priest's engraved one on his breast all remind us of the blood of the lamb， which shows us the way to get rid of sin and turn onto the road of God and Heaven is through our own suffering: blood， even life.

In the novel， the red flame is converted into the scarlet letter \"A\"， symbolizing the original sin， the permanent punishment of Christianity and the purification of spirit. \"A\"， the first letter of the alphabet， means beginning. But according to the doctrines of Christianity， beginning is degradation. The scarlet letter \"A\" can also be seen as the symbol of Adam. It tells us that Hester's sin is just the original sin of human beings and it is forgivable. The author shows his sympathy by describing the scarlet letter \"A\" on Hester's clothing as an ornament and a decoration. The feeling of sympathy expressed through one of the characters by this scene is employed by Hawthorne to criticize the puritans for their strictness.

B. The Changes of the Symbolic Meaning of the Scarlet Letter \"A\"

In this novel， the letter \"A\" builds up the framework and launches a close link between the human relationships. Not only does \"A\" manifest itself in various forms and places but also its meaning changes many different times， which shows the growth in both the characters and the community in which they live.

The letter \"A\" is a symbol of her adultery against Roger Chillingworth. According to the Calvinistic canon， Hester is put into prison and forced to wear the scarlet letter all the time for the crime. When she walks through the streets， she will be looked down upon as if she is some sort of demon from hell. So \"A\" symbolizes not only shame and punishment but also unjust humiliation and unfair treatment. Hester is ashamed of her sin， but she chooses not to show it. She commits this sin in the heat of passion， but fully admits it because she also receives her greatest treasure， Pearl. This enables her to choose to stay instead of leaving the town with enough strength and integrity. Furthermore， this makes her show love to her fellowmen who at first despised her very existence and causes the meaning of \"A\" changed finally.

The scarlet letter \"A\" also stands for Hester's lonely life in New England. After being released， Hester lives in a cottage near the outskirts of the city. She is cut off socially in the sense that she has no friends. So she suffers from great agony， with Pearl as her only companion.

In the novel， \"A\" has been accompanying Hester's daughter Pearl who shows great interest and fondness in it ever since she was born. Once， when she plays alone， she weaves a letter \"A\" and wears it on her breast the same way as her mother. The letter is in the color of green and full of vitality， which symbolizes the aspiration to release from the conservative concept about the letter and to plunge into the pursuit of a new life with hope and vitality.

Hester silently suffers the worst treatment， brings up Pearl and supports their life by weaving. Her needlework is so excellent that \"A\" has got the meaning of art. She tries her best to help the poor and sick， though she herself is very poor， and gains people's respect by her own affection and virtues， adding a divine sense to \"A\"， so in this way \"A\" is understood as the acts of the apostles. Years of earthly torture and spiritual agony make her strong enough to become an amazon who is apparently obedient but severely against the control of Puritanism from the bottom of her heart.

Later the scarlet letter \"A\" changes its meaning into able， angel and admirable. Her skill in the needlework first shows itself in the fine way that she displays the scarlet letter. She stitches a large scarlet \"A\" onto her dress with gold thread， endowing the letter an air of elegance. Then her excellent needlework for the rich allows her to maintain a fairly stable lifestyle. Furthermore， for her good deeds and unselfish assistance towards the poor and the sick， the town's people now not only believe that the scarlet letter proves her ability but also begin to realize what a noble character Hester possesses. So Hester finally overcomes the shame of her sin and grows to be quite admirable among people， even appearing as an Angel in their eyes.

Ⅲ．Conclusion

Symbolism is a traditional artistic form; it is also a major feature of romanticism. Through the symbolism used when dealing with the scarlet letter， the author paves the way for our deeper understanding of this novel， especially his inner world and \"that blackness in Hawthorne\". In a word， the various usage of symbolism and other artistic skills make The Scarlet Letter one of the classics of the world.

References：

［1］Hawthorne，Nathaniel．The Scarlet Letter．Beijing：People's Literature Press，1991．

［2］Rubinstein，Annette T．American Literature Root and Flower．Beijing：Foreign Language Teaching and Researching Press，1988．

［3］Wang Lili，Wang Xinghui．\"Discussion about Pearl's Role in The Scarlet Letter\" ．Shandong University Newspaper，1995．

（作者單位：河北醫科大學）