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Post by maryri116 on Nov 25, 2012 12:33:12 GMT -5
Hester is usually described with some notion of white (pure) light, denoting her goodness, and is even portrayed as Virgin Mary-like. Thus, from analyzing the Narrator's and, therefore, Hawthorne's perspective on Hester, the letter "A" seems to represent "angelic" or "angel" to me rather than "adulterer". Although Hester's scarlet letter ostensibly represents "adulterer" or "adultery," what else do you think "A" could represent and why?
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Post by clarele112 on Nov 25, 2012 18:58:31 GMT -5
When 'a' is attached before a word, it generally means not(the opposite of). For example, if 'a' is placed in front of the word 'typical', it becomes atypical which means that it is not typical. Similary, the letter A might imply that Hester is not puritan as she is the exact opposite of the beliefs, appearance, and characteristics of the Puritan community. From the beginning, Hester is physically different. Unlike Puritans who seems gray and dull, Hester is graceful with hair "so glossy that it threw off the sunshine with a gleam."(51) Also, Hester went against the strict principles of the society, committing adultery. Hester defied rationalism, a principle the Puritans strictly abide by and acted upon her natural desires and emotions. All these features of Hester show that she is 'a'Puritan and thus, the letter A on her clothing might be stating how much she is not puritan.
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Post by nickme112 on Nov 26, 2012 18:42:59 GMT -5
Obviously, many may assume that 'A' represents adultery, but I think it could mean attention. For example, when one commits an act that he/she knows is sinful, he/she has to know that many others will find out about this act. Furthermore, many may commit these types of acts in order to be recognized. So, the Puritans may have put the 'A' on her to represent, in their minds, Hester's desire for attention. Thus, the town might use the 'A' to call upon negative attention toward Hester, meaning people notice her, but they are supposed to look upon her with scorn.
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Post by laurensc116 on Nov 26, 2012 20:25:49 GMT -5
As much as the letter 'A' holds major significance, I believe that other aspects of the symbol are also relevant. For example, the bright red color signifies negative connotation due to the way that red can often be associated with the Devil. As we learned in The Crucible, being associated with the Devil was one of the upmost disgraces of the Puritan religion. Therefore, by relating Hester's actions to the Devil, it can be seen that the symbol would exemplify true disgrace. As important as the meaning of the letter 'A' is for the symbol, there are also other important elements to the symbol that are worthy of noting that add to the literal meaning of the letter 'A'.
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Post by laurenno116 on Nov 27, 2012 16:27:53 GMT -5
I do agree that the red of the letter could represent the Devil, but also I think it could be once again that bit of color in the dark and colorless puritan society described by the narrator. The red of the 'A' could be associated with the rosebush talked about in Chapter 1 because the color red is usually associated with the rose. And then similarly, the fact that the red letter is embroidered with gold thread makes it stand out even more and adds more color and beauty to Hester.
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Post by rebeccaki116 on Nov 28, 2012 21:24:31 GMT -5
As others have pointed out, I found Hawthorne’s use of color when it came to representing the scarlet “A” holds great significance to what it stands for. I believe Hawthorne associates colorful things in the novel with a positive connotation. For example, his admirations of Hester and her scarlet letter and the tinted luster of her rebellious daughter Pearl are both shone in a happy light. Whereas things without color are regarded with a negative connotation (the gloomy gray sky in the opening setting). By giving the letter color, Hawthorne is emphasizing the idea that going against the grain, or having flaws is a good thing. In fact, it’s better than a good thing because it gives you color and makes you beautiful.
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Post by 14elesvik on Dec 2, 2012 11:00:06 GMT -5
I believe the 'A' stands for ambivalent-meaning complicated.
Wherever the A appears in the novel, it is always associated with a dual, conflicting nature.
For example, Hester wears the A (obviously). Hester was supposed to wear the A as a punishment-to be a "living sermon against sin." Basically it represents the Puritan ideology. However, thanks to Hester's embroidery, the A is fancy and colorful. This represents the narrator's romanticism ideology because its color contrasts with the gray Puritan society. So, the A represents both Puritanism and Romanticism.
Pearl comes to represent the A as well. In the chapter where Hester visits Governor Bellingham, Pearl is wearing a red dress that looks just like Hester's scarlet letter. Pearl was born from Hester's sin and has come to have Hester's rebellious nature. So, Pearl represents Romanticism. (Pearl also is a beautiful child. The Romantics loved the innocence of children-as seen in Blake's "Nurse's Song of Innocence". Also, Romantics, especially Hawthorne, associate raw beauty with the wild beauty of nature.) However, Hester is terrified of Pearl. Hester sees herself in Pearl. She is afraid what she has become. So, Pearl, although she is practically the essence of Romanticism, drives Hester to society. This is seen in the end of the said chapter when Bellingham's witch-sister offered to take Hester to meet the devil in the forest. Hester declined and said that she would have taken the offer if Pearl was taken away. Although Pearl represents the Romantic ideology, she creates Puritanism. Again, the A, in this case Pearl, is very complicated.
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Post by maryri116 on Dec 5, 2012 20:34:54 GMT -5
Lauren - I think you explore an interesting concept by analyzing the letter's color meaning. As you said, red is a color associated with the devil and with other devlish, powerful things. However, the narrator uses the color to represent Hester as a positive character by highlighting her rebelliousness and the beautiful color / liveliness that she brings to the gray Puritan world. You could also assume that since the narrator appears to be positively high lighting the letter, he/she believes sin to be natural and adds life to an otherwise dull community. Thus, although red is certainly a color of the devil, the narrator's perspective seems to be that red's ferociousness actually adds life to the Puritan world.
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