WHAT ARE ARCHETYPES/MYTHS/SYMBOLS/ALLEGORIES

Archetypes: Universally understood symbol Example: Water- birth-death-resurrection; creation; purification and redemption; fertility and growth. Myths: a traditional or legendary story Example: The Boy Who Cried Wolf Symbol: something used for or regarded as representing something else Example: Peace-Dove Allegory: a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms Example: George Orwell's Animal Farm is a historical allegory of the Cold War/Bolshevik Revolution in Soviet Union.

SYMBOLS IN THE SCARLET LETTER

W H AT D O Y O U T H I N K E A C H O F T H E S E REPRESENTS?

Pearl

THE ROSEBUSH
The rose bush symbolizes pure beauty in the midst of a harsh Puritan society. Hawthorne uses imagery to emphasize the beauty of the rose bush; The rose bush sits in a grassy plot in front of the jail, a beautiful plant among unsightly vegetation. Symbol of non-conformity, something beautiful and appreciated coming out of something rejected and forsaken Example #1: Pg. 46, chapter 1.

The rosebush, by a strange chance, has been kept alive in history; but whether it had merely survived out of the stern old wilderness, so long after the fall of the gigantic pines and oaks that originally overshadowed it or whether, as there is fair authority for believing, it had spring up under the footsteps of the sainted Ann Hutchinson, as she entered the prison door we shall not take upon us to determine. Finding it so directly on the threshold of our narrative, which is now about to issue from that inauspicious portal, we could hardly do otherwise than pluck one of its flowers, and present it to the reader. It may serve, let us hope, to symbolize some sweet moral blossom that may be found along the track, or relive the darkening so close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow.

THE ROSE BUSH

Example #2: pg. 108, chapter 8 At the Governor's house, Mr. Wilson interrogates Pearl on who her father is, and Pearl answers that she was not made at all Pearl conforms to no one in the defined civilization that she lives in Pearl, being a physical part of society, is mentally separate in that she does not feel the expectation to be perfect (freedom of a broken law). Pearl likes to use nature as a refuge Pearl keeps thinking about the roses she saw in the governors garden while she was at his house.

Quote: pg. 108After putting her fingers in her mouth, with many ungracious refusals to answer good Mr. Wilsons question, the child finally announced that she had not been made at all, but had been plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison door.

THE SCARLET LETTER

In the beginning of the book, the Scarlet Letter represents shame and guilt. However, as the story progresses, the letter becomes a symbol of Hesters identity. Example #1: pg. 51, chapter 2

Hawthorne uses imagery to describe the natural beauty of the scarlet letter.
The gown that Hester wears, while having the letter on it, would be acceptable in the time; however what the A represents makes it a burden. Here, the scarlet letter symbolizes the shame and guilt of the letter that Hester wears upon her chest.

On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore; and which was of a splendor in accordance with the taste of age, but greatly beyond what was allowed by the sumptuary regulations of the colony

THE SCARLET LETTER

Example #2: (pg. 102) Hester is visiting the previous governors house to talk to him about keeping pearl. She then looks at her reflection, and it reveals what the Scarlet Letter does to her physically and mentally. As the more apparent revelation, the only thing other people see when they look at Hester is the Scarlet Letter. Reveals that Hester herself is obsessed with the symbol. She therefore cannot act outside of the mindset that she is a sad soul, fated to suffer from her punishment. She is defined by the Scarlet Letter at this time, to herself and everyone else.

Hester looked, by way of humoring the child: and she saw that, owing to the peculiar effect of this convex mirror, the scarlet letter was represented in exaggerated and gigantic proportions, so as to be greatly the most prominent feature of her appearance. In truth, she seemed absolutely hidden behind it.

THE SCARLET LETTER

As Hester helps out her community, and makes good deeds, people begin to view the scarlet the letter in a new way. People begin to see it as meaning Able, not Adulterer. Quotes (examples 3 and 4): (pg. 158) The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in herso much power to do and power to sympathizethat many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said it meant Able, so strong was Hester Prynne, with a womens strength.

(pg. 159) Individuals in private life, meanwhile, had quite forgiven Hester Prynne for her frailty; nay, more they had begun to look upon the scarlet letter as the token, no of that one sin, for which she had borne so long and dreary penance, but of her many good deeds since.

THE SCARLET LETTER

Example #4: pg. 199 When Hester removes her scarlet letter, she feels like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. She no longer feels the burden of shame and anguish and feels free.

The stigma gone, Hester heaved a long, deep sigh, in which the burden of shame and anguish departed from her spirit. O exquisite relief! She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom! By another impulse, she took off the formal cap that confined her hair; and down it fell on her shoulders, dark and rich, with at once a shadow of light in its abundance, and imparting the charm of softness to her features. There played around her mouth and beamed out of her eyes a radiant and tender smile, that seemed gushing from the very heart of womanhood.

SUNLIGHT
In the book, Hawthorne makes various references to sunlight symbolizing innocence and freedom. -Innocence: In the beginning of the book, the sunlight always shines directly on Pearl because she has not committed any sin. For Hester, on the other hand, no sunlight shines on her which symbolizes the sin she has committed. -Freedom: When Hester removes her scarlet letter in the forest, she feels free and like the burden of shame has lifted. When this occurs, the sunlight shines directly on Hester. Hester feels relieved and a sense of happiness when this happens.

Example #1: pg. 180, chapter 16

Pearl is able to run and dance in the sunlight beams that shine through the canopy of the trees in the forest. When Hester attempts to touch the sunlight, it moves away, closing the light from her and keeping her in same situation that she has remained since the beginning of her punishment.

SUNLIGHT
Pearl comments that the sunshine shines on her because it is not afraid of her. She attributes this to the fact that she wears nothing on her bosom yet in other words, she has not committed a sin, especially like that of Hesters. With the sun shining on Pearl, her innocence is preserved.

Mother, said little Pearl, the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now, see! There it is, playing, a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me; for I wear nothing on my bosom yet! Example #2: (pg. 199) When Hester removes her Letter; it changes in a spectacular way. The sunlight floods onto her, illuminating the previously hidden Hester, full of life and beauty. The Scarlet Letter allowed Hester to roam in the realms that many others could not, however it also kept her from roaming the ones that others got to enjoy. She had lost her joy and beauty because of the Letter and removing it gives her a chance, though brief, to experience the joy of freedom that she lost.

Signifies that nature is now happy with Hester

SUNLIGHT
And, as if the gloom of the earth and sky had been but the effluence of these two mortal hearts, it vanished with their sorrow. All at once, as with a sudden smile of heaven, forth burst into the sunshine, pouring a very flood into the obscure forest, gladdening each green leaf, transmuting the yellow fallen ones to gold, and gleaming adown the gray trunks of the solemn trees. The objects that had made a shadow hitherto embodied the brightness now. The course of the little brook might be traced by its merry gleam afar into the woods heart of mystery, why had become a mystery of joy.

HOW IS THE SCARLET LETTER AN ALLEGORY FOR THE STORY OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN?

WHAT IS THE STORY OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN?

According to the myth of the Bible, Adam and Eve were the first man and woman created. They were placed in the Garden of Eden.

God told Adam and Eve that they could eat fruit from any of the trees, besides one.
However, Eve was tempted by a serpent to eat the fruit from the tree, therefore disobeying God. Because of this, Adam and Eve were punished by being thrown out of the Garden.

SOHOW DOES THIS ALLEGORY RELATE TO THE SCARLET LETTER?

Both texts illustrate the sinful nature of man Many characters from the Scarlet Letter can be paired with those in the Garden. Hester/Eve Chillingworth/Snake Dimmesdale/Adam

HESTER/EVE
Both women sinned and eternally punishedbanished from society Adultery=Eating the forbidden fruit Fallen women who obtain salvation: Hester is able to challenge the identity of a fallen women by transforming the meaning of the A as shameful to a part of Hester. People now respect Hester and go to her for guidance. The Scarlet Letter ceased to be a stigma which attracted the worlds scorn and bitterness, and became a type of something to be sorrowed over, and looked upon with awe, yet with reverence too (257). Scarlet Letters meaning is changed

CHILLINGWORTH/SNAKE
The snake symbolizes evil but also with a healing power Chillingworth is a doctor (healing) but with an ulterior motive (revenge). A writhing horror twisted itself across his features, like a snake gliding swiftly over them, and making one little pause, with all its wreathed intervolutions in open sight (56-7). Physically evident that Chillingworth is evil. Like the snake, Chillingworth aims to hurt his victim (Dimmesdale) by instilling a false sense of friendliness.
Snake tempts Eve into eating fruitpretends that Adam and Eve wont be punished.

CHILLINGWORTH CONTINUED
Chillingworth sinned by marrying a woman a generation younger than him, this unhappy marriage led Hester to become an adulterous. When Chillingworth sees Hester with the baby he evolves from a loving husband to a man who seeks revenge and wants to hurt someone from within. The Black Man is another term for Satan and Hester considers the A to be a mark of the black man. Chillingworth is related to the black man because he is also punishing Hester and Dimmesdale for their sin. Had a man seen old Roger Chillingworth , at that moment, of his ecstasy, he would have had no need to ask how Satan comports himself when a precious human soul is lost to heaven and won into his kingdom (135). One night when Dimmesdale is asleep Chillingworth creeps over and looks at his chest and jumps back with a devilish cry, similar to Satan stealing a soul from Heaven and casting it into Hell. Like the black man Chillingworth carries a black book; Chillingworth gets both Hester and Dimmesdale to sign his book consequently forcing them to forever carry the mark of sin

DIMMESDALE/ADAM
Adam condones Eves sin by not preventing her from eating the forbidden fruit, but only Eve is blamed for the sin similar to the way that only Hesters life was publically affected even though Dimmesdale sinned as well.

Ironic that Dimmesdale is so passionate when preaching about sin because he himself has sinned.
Dimmesdales guilt from his sin causes him to suffer immensely, making the reader sympathetic.

RELIGIOUS ALLEGORY
When Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the forest the creek is an allegory for water, which represents new life. Similar to baptism when holy water cleanses someones original sin, the creek represented new life because Dimmesdale was finally able to relieve himself which some of his grief and agony.

Because of what Eve did in the Garden of Eden every one is born with original sin, similar to Pearl because of the way she was conceived she is now a sinner.

PEARL
In the Puritan times it was believe that nature is a force of evil, and Pearl felt most at home in nature The light lingered about the lonely child, as if glad of such a playmate, until her mother had drawn almost nigh enough to step into the magic circle.-180
Pearl is also a representation of original sin because that was what Eve received by disobeying God in the Garden of Eden while Hester obtained Pearl from her sin But she named the infant Pearl, as being of great price-purchased with all she had-her mothers only Pearls physical radiant beauty is symbolized of being worthy to have been brought forth in Eden So magnificent was the small figure when thus arrayed, and such was the splendor of Pearls own proper beauty, shining through the gorgeous robes which might have extinguished a paler loveliness, that there was an absolute circle of radiance around her on the darksome cottage floor