Allegory in the scarlet letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author of the novel, The Scarlet Letter, initially suggests his novel to be allegorical in a brief introduction to the novel entitled The Custom-House. Perhaps more importantly than providing the reader with a background to the story, in this preface he attempts to convey to the reader the themes and the deeper meaning of The Scarlet Letter. He comments, “Certainly there was some deep meaning in it, most worthy of interpretation, and …

…discover a myriad of allegorical theories and philosophies created by the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is defined that “A symbol becomes an allegory when the symbol becomes so obvious it overcomes the idea and character that the symbol embodies (Merriam-Webster’s collegiate Dictionary) which is an obvious occurrence in the novel. Through the authors narration, the actions, words, thoughts, and opinions of the characters, Hawthorne adds a symbolic meaning to the characters in the novel.