Analysis of Style and Structure

        Style and the way the author wrote the novel:

            The Scarlet Letter is told in the omniscient point of view partly because the author himself was writing according to the manuscript he found in the attic, but partly because it is his own life story. The style that Nathaniel Hawthorne uses to write The Scarlet Letter is very strange and complex to our modern generation that some people like me would search up an unusual word I`m not familiar with. His plenty amount of words and sentence structure causes readers to read and reread everything many times in order to comprehend it. However, his use of symbolisms, imagery  and allegories is all very similar and in depth. His symbolisms like the prison door and the scarlet letter “A” all convey the message of evil, sin, and forgiveness very clearly and are all more than once brought up throughout the plot. Hawthorne's excessive use of detailed descriptions and imagery help draw the reader in and visualize the setting in order to fully experience it. Another literary device that Hawthorne uses in his writing is the reference to allegories. For example, in the Chapter “The Custom House”, the author describes the most beloved and well-known icon of American freedom, the eagle. However, as he tells in detail of this monumental statue in front of the Custom House, the original sense of freedom and liberty is replaced with a morbid and chilling feeling, implicating that there might be something wrong with the Custom House government.

         Symbols: 

         The Scarlet Letter - The scarlet letter is meant to be a symbol of shame, but instead it becomes a powerful symbol of identity to Hester. The letter’s meaning shifts as time passes. Originally intended to mark Hester as an adulterer, the “A” eventually comes to stand for “Able.” 

Pearl - Although Pearl is a complex character, her primary function within the novel is as a symbol. Pearl is a sort of living version of her mother’s scarlet letter. 

The Meteor - Arthur Dimmsdale thought the meteor implies that he should wear a mark of shame just as Hester does. The meteor is interpreted differently by the rest of the community, which thinks that it stands for “Angel” and marks Governor Winthrop’s entry into heaven.

The Rosebush resembles the beauty of life and the beauty of Hester. It is placed outside the prison to show that once inside the prison, beauty fades. It is a harsh environment. In that environment are prisoners who have gone against the law---as Hester went against Church law. As the person who answered the question a few minutes ago, the prison represents Hester's sin.