Lucero 1

Ethan Lucero

Mr. Miles

English 10 Pre-AP

13 November 2017

The Scarlet Letter

In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne develops a shameful and

sinful character in Hester Prynne. Nathaniel Hawthorne achieves this through symbolism,

followed by a shameful tone, created by negative diction. Throughout The Scarlet Letter

the author uses these different elements of literature to develop Hester’s character.

Hawthorne uses symbolism of the scarlet letter in order to develop Hester

Prynne’s character. The author suggests that the scarlet letter is a symbol of her shame

when he says, “the scarlet letter threw a lurid gleam along the dark passage-way of the

interior” (Hawthorne 62). The scarlet letter is being displayed as a symbol in this passage

because Hawthorne is saying that the scarlet letter stands out to the townspeople, and

when they see it they can see the shame and sin of Hester. This helps develop Hester

Prynne’s character because it shows the intensity of the shame she feels and the negative

image the scarlet letter has brought her. Another way the author develops her character is

through his use of tone and diction.

Hawthorne develops Hester’s character through the use of a shameful tone and

negative diction. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne uses words like “morbid heart”
and“condemn” to display her feelings as well as how the townspeople feel about Hester

and her situation. The author uses this type of negative diction to show Hester’s thoughts

and emotions as well as the reactions and thoughts of the townspeople. The diction used

in the sentence, “The chain that bound her here was of iron links, and gulling to her

inmost soul, but never could be broken,” (Hawthorne 72) develops her character further

because the author is saying that Hester does not feel like the same person that she was

before the incident. Hester feels as though she is not pure because of her past action and

the scarlet letter has put a burden on her life. This diction used throughout the novel helps

to make Hester the symbol of shame and sin. Her shame and character are greatly

expressed through these different aspects of literature.

Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism as well as

tone and diction in order to develop Hester Prynne’s character. Hawthorne ultimately

makes Hester seem as though she is very shameful because of her actions and he does

this through the use of these aspects of literature.