Imagery and Irony in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essays -- Scarlet

Imagery and Ironyin The Scarlet garner Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author of The Scarlet Letter, uses a variety of literary techniques in tack together to produce energy and invoke the interest of the reader. He creates the mood and the coming of the saucy by u depravityg the techniques of imagery and raillery. Yet, it is his use of symbolism that very carries the novel. An abundance of symbolism appears in many different forms, adding interest to the novel. For instance, Hawthorne uses his characters, such as Pearl, as symbols It was the cherry-red letter in another form, the scarlet letter endowed with life. (Ch. VII pg. 103) Pearl is a symbol of the sin of Hester and Dimmesdale. She sets as a constant punishment and living conscience. In addition, Hawthorne uses inseparable occurrences such as scant(p) and opaqueness as symbols by having Dimmesdale abide upon the scaffold only at night. Darkness, therefore, is a symbol of the concealment of sin, and light becomes a s ymbol of truth and acceptance of guilt. The use of light and dark occurs many times without the novel to place emphasis on the underlying morals. Furthermore, Hawthorne uses everyday objects, such as the brook in the forest, to serve as a symbol. Pearl refused to cross the brook and join her aim on the other side, making the brook a symbol of the bourn between the two worlds of truth and deception. This natural setting is one of the around striking in the novel. By using symbolism in these deuce-ace forms (characters, natural occurrence, and simple objects) Ha... ...tter it were so, than to hide a guilty heart through life. What can thy silence do for him, except it tempt him-yea, compel him, as it were-to add hypocrisy to sin. (Ch. III pg. 73) One of the strengths in Hawthornes novel is his use of dramatic irony. To the townspeople, this passage appears to be a breathtaking livery that would make any sinner confess, when in truth, Dimmesdale is pleading with Hester to reveal his sin. The irony in the novel establishes the strife and dismay of the climax. Hawthornes use of the lead literary techniques of symbolism, imagery, and irony are what make his novel a masterpiece. By using these three techniques, he allows the reader to find inspiration and morality, determine the plot, and become absorbed in the work itself.