Novel: The Scarlet Letter

Outline for the Research:

Introduction

The novel chosen for the analysis is "The Scarlet Letter" written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In this novel the author has used many symbols and this novel is considered as one of the best novel.

Thesis Statement

A thesis statement will be provided in this part of the paper. For this paper the thesis statement will be discussing the main symbolism used by the author Nathaniel Hawthorne in the Novel.

Discussion of the Themes (symbols Used) in the Novel

In this section many themes will be discuss which author has used in his book. The themes which we will be discussing are as follows:

Religion in the Scarlet Letter

Parenthood in the Scarlet Letter

Individual and Society in the Scarlet Letter

Adultery as a Theme in Literature

Conclusion

Conclusion will provide a brief summary of the paper which is discussed. It is the end part of the paper and it will be illustrating the key points of the novel highlighting the themes we discussed in the discussion part.

Annotated Works Cited

In this section an annotated bibliography will be stated consisting of 8-10 resources. Annotated bibliography is present at the last page of the research paper.

Abstract

This research paper will be discussing the novel in which the author makes use of symbolism in that novel. The novel chosen for the analysis is "The Scarlet Letter" written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In this novel the author has used many symbols and this novel is considered as one of the best novel. We will be discussing synopsis of the novel in introduction part. In the Discussion and analysis part we will be highlighting and analyzing the themes used in the novel briefly. In the end part of the paper it will be illustrating the key points of the novel highlighting the themes. Annotated bibliography is present at the last page of the research paper.

Novel: The Scarlet Letter

Introduction

The novel chosen for the analysis is the “Scarlet letter”, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Set in Puritan Boston, The Scarlet Letter chronicles the life of Hester Prynne. The novel opens as Hester, with her infant Pearl in her arms, is led from the town prison to a scaffold that stands in the marketplace. Hester stands on the scaffold as part of her punishment for adultery; on her chest is a scarlet letter 'A' that magistrates decree that she must wear (Johnson, 594). Hester and Pearl live an isolated life on the outskirts of Boston, and Hester makes her living through her needlework skills. She has used these skills to embellish her "A" with flourishes of gold thread, and she dresses Pearl in red and gold as if to emphasize that both are symbols of her adultery (Durst, 605).

Throughout the novel, Hester keeps two secrets. The first is that her husband, who was to follow her from Europe to the new world, arrived in Boston as she stood upon the scaffold. Remaining anonymous, he lives under the name of Roger Chillingworth (Johnson, 596). Hester's second secret is the identity of her lover, the respected young minister Arthur Dimmesdale. Though Hester refuses to publicly name Dimmesdale as Pearl's ...