In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many different objects and people as symbols to express his message throughout the book. He begins using a plant, then the namesake of the book, then continues on to uses two people as symbols to get his message across. Although seemingly simple, all of these symbols are extremely complex, and used in a multitude of ways.
First, the rosebush outside the prison; in the first chapter, it is used as a symbol of hope, or maybe a symbol of redemption. It represents a glimmer of happiness outside the grim, ugly walls and heavy oaken door of the prison. Later in the book, when asked of where she came by the governor, Pearl says she was "plucked off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison door-, as if the bush represented her mother's only salvation from the harsh prison, or even a physical manifestation of Hester's love for her daughter. This answer to this question strongly resembles Hester's openly defiant stature when asked who the father of her baby was during the first scaffold scene. .
Perhaps the most complex symbol in the book is the most obvious and prevalent one, the books namesake, The Scarlet Letter itself. At its first entrance, the letter is used as a symbol of shame, or grief. The magistrates of the town have placed the letter on Hester's breast as a way to let everyone in the town know of her adulterous act. It is meant to be a mark of shame, and for many years after her first stand on the scaffold, it is viewed as one. However, later in the story, the letter isn't viewed as a mark of shame at all; instead, it is viewed as a label of greatness. Hester's A transforms from an evil, wicked stigma, into a sign of respect among her fellow citizens. The A goes from its original meaning of adultery, to meaning able. For Hester, being called able amongst the townsfolk is beyond a regular compliment. After being a complete outcast from the town and all its inhabitants, being respected by her peers is an amazing accomplishment for Hester.
