Characterization, Symbolism, and Irony in The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a novel about a young woman who commits adultery and is forced to wear the letter A, which symbolizes adultery, on her chest. In this novel, Hawthorne includes many symbols to display hidden meanings, including character symbols to wake up the reader. Irony is an important element as well, used to reveal the hypocrisy of humankind. The Scarlet Letter is a unique blend of characters, irony and symbolism. Hester Prynne is first described in the scaffold scene as, â€Å"tall, with a figure of perfect elegance on a large scale. She had dark and abundant hair, so glossy that it threw off the sunshine with a gleam, and a face which, besides being beautiful from regularity of feature and†¦show more content†¦Arthur Dimmesdale is a character of depression and darkness. He is young, pale has large, melancholy eyes and a tremulous mouth, suggesting great sensitivity (Cliffsnotes). He is a well-known, well-educated, Puritan minist er, and has a high reputation. There is no doubt that he is devoted to God, passionate in his religion, and effective in the pulpit (Cliffsnotes). In the beginning of the novel, Dimmesdale is pictured as a good, quiet man, and the townspeople admire him. He becomes very ill, and the doctor, Roger Chillingworth, cannot determine what is causing his sickness for quite a while. Finally, the novel exposes that Dimmesdale is sick because of his horrible guilt. It would seem that he would never commit any significant sin, yet the novel reveals that Dimmesdale is Hester Prynne’s lover. Dimmesdale, Hester, and Pearl all meet one day in the forest, and they plan to take a ship to England, where Hester was born. When they were about to board the ship, Chillingworth was spotted standing on it. Dimmesdale sees him and decides that he cannot take it anymore. His guilt was, literally, killing him. He presents himself on the scaffold and announces to the town that he was Hester’s lov er. However, the crowd does not believe him and thinks that the devil was forcing him to become crazy. Dimmesdale’s guilt finally gets the best of him, and he dies on the scaffold. Roger Chillingworth is a man deficient in human warmth (SparkNotes). HeShow MoreRelatedCharacterization And Imagery Of Hester Prynne Essay1306 Words   |  6 Pagesstrong traits of their nature have intertwined themselves with mine† (Hawthorne 10). Chapter 1 – The Prison Door Juxtaposition and Symbolism â€Å"It may serve, let us hope, to symbolize some sweet moral blossom, that may be found along the track or relive the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow† (Hawthorne 46). Chapter 2 – The Market-Place Characterization and Imagery of Hester Prynne â€Å"The young woman was tall, with a figure of perfect elegance on a large scale. 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