Symbolic Characters in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Symbolic Characters in The Scarlet earn   Symbolic characters argon very important in most knock- deplete(a) novels. One classic that uses characters as images is The Scarlet Letter. This novel is ab reveal(p) a woman in Puritan society, Hester, who commits adultery with her minister, Arthur Dimmesdale. She has a daughter, Pearl, and is forced to gestate a scarlet letter the rest of her life. Arthur hides his sin and becomes extremely troubled. Hesters husband, Roger, takes it upon himself to settle and punish Arthur for his sin and becomes like the devil. Three characters in the novel are emblematical Roger Chillingworth, the young woman, and Pearl.   One character in the story that is symbolic is Roger, Hesters husband. He is the symbol of a life consumed with revenge. When the reader first meets Roger, he is a mostly normal man.   He was small in stature, with a furrowed visage, which, as yet, could hardly be termed aged. There was a infrequent intelligence in his features... (p. 56)   The only unusual trait of his is a slight deformity of the shoulder. He is an intelligent man who spends most of his time reading. When Roger finds out that Hester has been unfaithful to him, he vows to take revenge on the man who sinned with her. later on he finds out that the man is Minister Arthur Dimmesdale and meticulously plots revenge. His life becomes consumed with the carrying out of his revenge. He himself sins as he tries to destroy Arthurs soul. Roger soon comes to resemble the devil. He even notices this similarity in himself. He says, I have already told thee what I am A fiend (p. 158) Hester also says that she pities him, ...for the hatred that has change a wise and just man to a fiend. (p. 159) Each of them key that Rogers life centered around hatred and revenge have make him like the devil. The symbol working in Roger, living to destroy, shows that tearing down another person causes as much damage to ones own life. Roger is the symbol of a life consumed by desire for revenge.   Another symbolic character is the frame young woman. She is symbolic of hope in the story. Surrounded by people criticizing and being self-righteous the young woman alone has kind words to say to and about Hester Prynne.