Beginning of Essay
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is generally considered to be the first American symbolic novel. A symbol is something which is used to represent something broader in meaning. The most obvious symbol in the novel is the actual scarlet "A" which both th ....

Middle of Essay
.... and Roger Chillingworth sees the A as a journey for retaliation. Other then adultery, the A can also stand for "Angel" and "Able". Angel, for it appears in the sky after Governor Winthrop's death. Able, for Hester has won the respect of the Puritans even if she has sinned terribly. Hawthorne uses the prison building to describe crime and punishment in contrast with the tombstone at the end of the novel. This statement suggests the crime and punishment will eventually lead to the death of the malefactor. One positive symbol is the rosebush outside the prison. I feel it represents a sweet person hidden in the encasements of a dark prison, ....