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TheScarletLetterisrichwithsymbolswhichcanstandforanidea,belief,action,ormaterialentity.ItisacharacteristicofHawthorne.Heusedsymbolstorevealthepsychologyofthecharacters.Sointheessay,Iwillmainlytalkaboutthesymbolsinthisbook.Themostimportantsymbolinthebookisthe“thescarletletterA”.WhenIfirstsawthemaincharacterHesterPrynneatthebeginningofthebook,theimagecometomymindwasthewomanappearedinthebible,theangle“tookmeawayintheSpiritintoawasteland:andIsawawomanseatedonabrightredbeast,fullofevilnames,havingsevenheadsandtenhorns.Andthewomanwasclothedinpurpleandbrightred,withornamentsofgoldandstonesofgreatpriceandjewels;andinherhandwereagoldcupfullofevilthingsandheruncleandesires”(revelution17:3,17:4).Herethewoman“fullofevils”wasdressedinred,andseatedonred.Red,orscarletcolorwasakindofsymbolofsin.The“scarlet”inthisnovel,however,canreflectmuch,notonlysin.Thecolor“scarlet”isjustlikethelovebetweenHesterandArthurDimmesdale,pure,sincereandenthusiastic.Thiskindofloveisthefoundationofthefamilyandthesociety.Itshouldbecherishedifthesocietyiswellestablished.But,thenovelwaswritteninthemid-nineteenthcenturyandtookthemid-seventeenthcenturyfortheeventsitdescribes.PeopleatthattimesoughttoestablishanidealcommunityinAmericathatcouldactasamodelofinfluenceforwhattheysawasacorruptcivilandreligiousorder.Thissenseofmissionwasthecenteroftheirreligiousandsocialidentity.Directedtowardtherealizationofsuchanideal,thePuritansrequiredastrictmoralregulation;anyoneinthecommunitywhosinnedthreatenednotonlytheirsoul,buttheverypossibilityofcivilandreligiousperfectioninAmericaandinEngland.Notcoincidentally,theyearsHawthornechosetorepresentinTheScarletLetterwerethesameasthoseoftheEnglishCivilWarfoughtbetweenKingCharlesIandthePuritanParliament;thelatterwasnaturallysupportedbytheNewEnglandcolonists.UndertheruleofthePuritanism,thehumannaturehadbeenconstrained;peoplecannotdevelopinahealthyway.Thescarletfeelingthatshouldbefullofpassionandhappinesswassuppressed.Meanwhile,the“scarlet”canalsostandforthepunishmentofstake.HesterandDimmesdalewerejustlikepagans;theirguiltysoulswereburnedbythefire,andthefirehadturnedintothescarletletter“A”.Thatmeanttheirsoulswerepurifiedinthelonglastedpunishment.AsthenoveldescribedthatHesterwasayoungwomanwhowastallwithafigureofperfecteleganceonalargescale.Shehaddarkandabundanthair,soglossythatitthrewoffthesunshinewithagleam,andafacewhich,besidesbeingbeautifulfromregularityoffeatureandrichnessofcomplexion,hadtheimpressivenessbelongingtoamarkedbrowanddeepblackeyes.Shewasladylike,too,afterthemannerofthefemininegentilityofthosedays;characterizedbyacertainstateanddignity,ratherthanbythedelicate,evanescent,andindescribablegrace,whichisnowrecognizedasitsindication.Thereisnodoubtthatshewasacharmingwoman,especiallyinthecommoncrowd.Butthescenewasquiteirony.Thischarmingwomanwasthesinner.ThescarletletterAwasonthebreastofhergown,infineredcloth,surroundedwithelaborateembroideryandfantasticflourishesofgoldthread.Shewasasinnerwhocommittedadulterymorethananattractivewoman.ThescarletletterApeoplegaveherwastoshowshewasanadulterouswoman.Itwasashame;AsAisthefirstletterofthealphabetwhichmeansthestart.Astodoctrine,thestartisfallen.Theoriginoftheworldisfallen.AdamandEve‘sleavingEdenwasapunishmentfortheiract.Lifebeginningwasakindoffallen.ThestorybeginswiththescenethatHesterwasonthescaffoldtoacceptthepunishmentimpliedthatthebeginningwasthefallen.ThenameofArthurDimmesdalestartedwiththeletterAjustlikedAdam.HeshouldbetogetherwithHester,buthedidnot.ForHester,shehadn’tbeenfacedwiththis,sowhat’sherfirstimpulseistoclasptheinfantcloselytoherbosomtohidethisshame.Butinamoment,sherealizedit’sunwisetohideashamebyanother.Thenshesmiled,inahaughtyway.Atthismoment,thescarletletterAwasnolongerakindofsymbolof“adulterous”,ashame,butthefireinsidethatgaveherthesupporttogetherwiththebabyonherarm.ShepulledthroughthissituationandinherlaterlifethescarletAalsoaccomplishedherandturnedintodifferentmeanings.Itjustlikeaferulethatregularizeherbehavior,cultivatehervirtue,constrainedherhumannatureandalsofirmedherfaithtopursuitherhappiness.Inherlatterlife,shelivedapurelife.HerneedleworkwassupremelygoodthatthescarletletterAseemedtobecomeapraisethatrepresentedart.Notonlyhadherneedleworkwinnedherpraise,butsheherselfwassuchakindpersonwhoalwayshelpedotherswhowereintroublethatwinedothers’respect.ThescarletletterAbecameasymbolof“able”or“angle”.Itcouldbealsoregardedasthecrossofnuns,strandedfor“Actsoftheapostles”.Tillthismoment,thescarletletterAwasnolongerasymbolofshame.What’sinteresting,inGeoffreyChaucer’sTheCanterburyTales,therealsoanunwhohadanA.Thescarletletteritselfistheprincipalsymbolsinthenovel,andtherearemanyothers.InthefirstchapterthewildrosebushsymbolizesdissentinitsreferencetothehistoricalfigureAnneHutchinson,wholedagroupofreligiousdissentersincolonialMassachusetts.MeanwhileitalsosymbolizesHesterandevenaforeshadowingofthescarletletterthatshewears.What’smore,individualsinthenovelcanalsobeunderstoodassymbols.Forinstance,ArthurDimmesdale,withallofhisprofoundpainandsuffering,issymbolicofthehighvalueoft