The Symbolic Significance of The Scarlet Letter

As a great romantic novelist in America in 19th century,Hawthorne was outstanding in handling the application of symbolism.The Scarlet Letter is Hawthorne's most important symbolic novel,which stands as the best work of Hawthorne and one of the indubitable masterpieces of American literature.This thesis aims at the exploration of the usage of the symbolism in the novel.It mainly discusses the deep symbolic significance of the scarlet letter "A" and the little pearl.The scarlet letter is the central symbol of the novel.Its symbolic meaning changes from 'adultery' to 'able',even 'angelic' in the novel.It also examines the symbolic meanings of little Pearl and some typical natural surroundings such as the jail,the forest,the rosebush and so on.

The Symbolic Significance of The Scarlet Letter