Scarlet Letter

As a writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne is best known for his use of symbolism. The Scarlet Letter is considered by many to be the world's first truly symbolic novel. A symbol is a person, place, object, or activity that stands for something outside itself, and literary symbols take on their meaning within the context of literature. Of the many symbols in the book the most symbolic ones include the scarlet letter, the meteor, and Hester's daughter, …

…represents not only "sin" but also the vital spirit and passion that engendered that sin. Thus, Pearl's existence gives her mother reason to live bolstering her spirits when she is tempted to give up. It is only after Dimmesdale is revealed to be Pearl's father that Pearl can become fully "human." "developed all sympathies … were the pledge to grow up…" (167) Until then, she functions in a symbolic capacity as the reminder of an unsolved mystery. (157)