Symbolism The Scarlet Letter

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Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter
In “The Scarlet Letter,” Nathaniel Hawthorne uses various symbols to express his ideas. One such symbol is the meteor. The meteor’s significance as a symbol is evident from the fact that it causes a light so bright that it is visible during the day. Usually, meteors were seen in the dark of night, often with the aid of a telescope. From Dimmesdale’s perspective, the blinding meteor during the day symbolized God’s recognition of him, Hester and Pearl. To him, it as though God Himself was giving His seal of approval on the family. However, beyond the prospect of the new family, Dimmesdale sees the meteor as exposure to his transgressions. The appearance of the letter ‘A’ in the meteor’s burning trail is a stinging reminder of his sins; he thinks he sees the form of the letter because of an eye disorder (Hawthorne 234). His guilt betrays him.
The community has a slightly different interpretation of the meteor’s appearance. To the masses, the meteor commemorates the recent death of the Mayor. Interestingly, the form of the letter ‘A’ is visible to them too. However, they interpret it to mean “angel.” The mayor, having gone to the afterlife is now an angel, or so they thought.
The meteor as a symbol provides insight into the life of Dimmesdale as well as the community at large. It is a representation of the religious inclination of the community, Dimmesdale included. It represents a people yearning to hear from their God.

Besides, the meteor portrays the community’s little regard to science. The members of the community have little understanding on the reasons why various astronomical events take place at such sporadic intervals. To them, anything beyond the ordinary rising and setting of the sun and moon was a message from the Divine (Hawthorne 232).
Work Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Scarlet Letter.” Planet PDF: 72-394. Print.