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aware of his true identity as Hester's husband is Hester. Chillingworth, however, quickly becomes aware of Dimmesdale's identity as Pearl's father. When he discovers the sign of Dimmesdale's hidden shame, which is revealed later in the novel, he is likened to Satan. "Had a man seen [him]he would have had no need to ask how Satan comports himself, when a precious human soul is lost to heaven, and won into his kingdom." (121) He is a lesson to readers to keep revenge and hatred from taking over a person's soul.

After returning to town from her stay in prison, Hester becomes a symbol to the townspeople. "The young and pure would be taught to look at herthe child of honorable parentswho had once been pureas the reality of sin." (72) Her embroidery, while beautiful, is still asked for by members of the town. However, it is never requested to cover the pure blushes of a bride. (75) In a modern age where adultery is quite commonplace, one might think that this viewpoint is a bit harsh. Readers must remember that this story takes place in a Puritan society. Puritans believed that the Bible was law. (Noll) The Ten Commandments clearly state "Thou shalt not commit adultery." (Deuteronomy 5:18) So it would be entirely acceptable to punish a woman who violated this God-given law. Along the same lines, it would also be acceptable to use her as an example of sinful practices. This use of a woman as a tragic heroine is classic with Hawthorne. "In Hawthorne's writings, the persons whose bodies and minds most suffer from experimentation and heritage are almost always female" (Brown)

Symbols are strategically placed throughout literature. By looking deeper into most pieces, a reader can find that the most innocent object or seemingly straightforward character is actually a symbol strategically placed by the author. Not every piece will have as much symbolism as Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter," but the pieces that do are worth investigating.

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