Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Novel ‘The Scarlet Letter’

Symbolism is a concept people are exposed to everyday, whether they notice it or not. It is a device that is used in many different forms, from state flags to works of art to the lyrics of one’s favorite song. Many find symbolism to give such things a higher significance or importance, allowing them to become much more than their surface meanings. The symbolism in literature is no different. In literature, symbolism has been used to thoroughly amplify the meaning of a work, allowing poems, novels, and the like to incorporate themes and ideas without explicitly stating them in the text. Such uses of symbols in literary works are easily seen in symbolic novels such as Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘The Scarlet Letter’ (1850), a book revolving around a Puritan woman in America who had committed adultery. By observing the studies of four scholarly articles and reading ‘The Scarlet Letter’, one begins to comprehend the captivating effects symbolism has on the underlying themes and ideas of a piece of literature.

According to Erich Fromm, a symbol is simply “something that stands for something else” (Fromm, 121). This definition seems rather vague, and hardly represents the role symbols have in literary works. To further understand symbols in literature, it is important to become accustomed to the three types of symbols that exist: conventional symbols, accidental symbols and universal symbols. Conventional symbols, which are the best known of the three, are symbols with no inherent correlation between them, yet are still used to represent thoughts and ideas (Fromm, 121). For example, the letters P-E-N stand for an object used to write, yet the sound pen has nothing to do with the actual object. Accidental symbols are lesser-known symbols that form with one’s personal experiences (Fromm, 122). For instance, if a person wears specific socks during a race and wins, that person may feel that those socks symbolize luck. The socks, however, would not symbolize the same thing to other people since they did not share the same positive experience as the winner of the race. These symbols tend to be more personal than the others and are rarely found in literature (Fromm, 123). Finally, universal symbols are symbols that have an intrinsic with the object they represent; their relationship is not coincidental, rather it is rooted in the nature of the symbol itself (Fromm, 123). For example, because rainy weather is cold, dull, and cloudy, people often relate it to sadness and misfortune. This relationship between the symbol and the idea it represents is what makes it universal - what an object symbolizes is often shared by all people, or at least represents a similar idea. This type of symbol is what most people consider when discussing symbolism in literature.

Though universal symbols often represent an idea tied to the symbolic object, that does not mean everyone interprets a universal symbol the same way. For example, though many see rain as a symbol of misfortune or sadness, some may also see rain as a symbol of fertility, since rainy weather is prominent in the spring and helps vegetation grow. Symbols in literature can vary in meaning from person to person; for this reason, symbolism in literature often has no absolute meaning, but rather can be interpreted differently as the reader sees fit to unify the literary work (Frye, 13). There are also times where the overall mood of a literary work influences how a certain symbol is interpreted by the reader (Frye, 13). For example, if a poem that had an overall happy, comforting mood, and if the poem had used fire as a symbol, the reader would most likely believe the fire represents something positive, such as comfort or energy. Contrarily, if a poem that used fire as a symbol had an overall dark and depressing mood, the readers would most likely see the fire as symbolizing something much more sinister, such as destruction. Symbolism often works in unity with the mood of a literary work, allowing the work’s emotion to be further directed towards the reader (Frye, 13).

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When discussing the relationship between symbolism and literature, a man that often comes to mind is author Nathaniel Hawthorne, a pioneer of romantic novel during the 19th century and one of the founders of symbolic American literature (Gao, 1). Few authors during this time could employ symbolism within their literature as artistically as Hawthorne could, and his books served as an inspiration for other writers to practice his own techniques. Hawthorne’s greatest symbolic masterpiece is considered to be ‘The Scarlet Letter’, a story published in 1850 that is often regarded as the first symbolic novel in American literature (Lei, 1). The symbolism in this novel was not incorporated into significant objects throughout the novel, rather it was meticulously placed throughout all aspects of the novel, including the physical settings, times, actions, and even the characters’ names (Lei, 3).

Hawthorne’s ‘The Scarlet Letter’ is a great example of the use of symbolism in literature and provides numerous different symbols throughout the book for the reader to dissect and interpret. Of the variety of symbols that were implemented in ‘The Scarlet Letter’ are the symbolic meanings of day and night throughout the novel. When one thinks of daytime, they usually relate it to a feeling of openness, with the daylight allowing no secrecy, privacy, or reservation (Gao, 7). However, this perceived symbolic meaning of day is severely different from the symbolic meaning Hawthorne assigns it to in 'The Scarlet Letter'. Instead of daytime resembling truth or honesty, it symbolizes concealment and disguise, quite the opposite of what most people assume. Many of the characters, specifically Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth, hide their true personalities or intentions and “…lived a pretended life during the daytime” (Gao, 8). This is evident in Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale because despite them having an affair, they kept to themselves during the hours of daylight to make it appear that they had no relation whatsoever. Even the few times Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale did interact in daylight, such as when Hester was first present on the scaffold and when she and her daughter, Pearl, were at Governor Bellingham’s mansion, Hester addressed Reverend Dimmesdale as simply her pastor, only saying, “Thou wast my pastor…thou knowest what’s in my heart, and what are a mother’s rights…”, when asking him to persuade the Governor to let her keep Pearl (Hawthorne, 133). The concealment of truth that occurs between Hester and Dimmesdale during the day justifies the idea that the daylight symbolizes secrecy and disguise throughout ‘The Scarlet Letter’. During the night, however, the behaviors of Hester, Reverend Dimmesdale, and Roger are much different, and no longer hide their true selves. It was at night when Hester and Dimmesdale let their passion for one another manifest, causing the event of adultery. It was only at night when Dimmesdale dared to admit that he was indeed Pearl’s rightful father, and only at night did he and Hester show that they were much more than mere acquaintances. Pearl herself acknowledges this change in Dimmesdale’s attitude toward her and Hester, saying, “In the dark night-time he calls us to him, and holds thy hand and mine…But…in the sunny day, and among all the people, he knows us not; nor must we know him!” (Hawthorne, 275). Roger’s true intentions regarding his close proximity with Dimmesdale were finally apparent as well. Rather than being a diligent doctor attempting to heal the sickly Dimmesdale, which is the role he acts out during the day, he reveals to Hester at night that he has only stood by Dimmesdale in order to get his revenge, allowing Dimmesdale “…to be tortured with frightful dreams, and desperate thoughts, the sting of remorse, and despair of pardon…” (Hawthorne, 205). These acts of truth allow the reader to see that, contrary to the day, the night symbolizes honesty and openness. It represents a time where the characters no longer must wear a disguise to hide their sinful ways, where they can reveal their true goals and feelings.

Symbolism has proven to be an important and creative way for authors to express concepts and themes in a literary work. Nathaniel Hawthorne did an astounding job of showing authors how to integrate symbolism through their works with ‘The Scarlet Letter’, influencing many to begin writing books filled with symbolic meanings to further intrigue readers in its ideas. Presently, it is common to find books filled with symbolism, whether they use symbols that are relatively easy to interpret or utilize symbols that seem so abstract in their meanings that a deep analysis of the book may be required to fully comprehend its meaning. Nevertheless, being aware of the effects symbolism has on a literary piece helps one understand and appreciate the fascinating implementation of symbols that have encompassed literature.

Works Cited

1. Fromm, Erich. “The Nature of Symbolic Language”. Class Handout: English 101. Cerro Coso Community College, 2010. 121-126. Print.
2. Frye, Northrop. “Three Meanings of Symbolism”. Yale French Studies, no. 9, 1952, pp. 11–19. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2929052
3. Gao, Haihong. 'An Analysis of Symbolic Images in the Scarlet Letter”. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, vol. 8, no. 12, 2018, p. 1725+. Literature Resource Center, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A566681551/GLS?u=cclc_cerroccc&sid=GLS&xid=06e785d2.
4. Hawthorne, Nathaniel, and Margaret Brantley. The Scarlet Letter. Edited by Cynthia Brantley. Johnson, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009.
5. Lei, Nan. “A Brief Study on the Symbolic Meaning of the Main Characters’ Name in ‘The Scarlet Letter’”. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, vol. 5, no. 10, 2015, p. 2164+. Literature Resource Center, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A446734743/GLS?u=cclc_cerroccc&sid=GLS&xid=829ba841