She is natural law unleashed, the freedom of the unrestrained wilderness, the result of repressed passion. Although they have the one similarity of having manifested themselves in a physical form they do evolve through the story into two completely different things. Mistress Hibbins knows on sight those who would wander "in the forest" or, in other words, secretly do Satan's work. What does the sunlight and shadow symbolize in The Scarlet Letter? The Scarlet Letter contains many reflective and important symbols. Symbolism plays a major role in developing the themes of Hawthorne 's "The Scarlet Letter"; symbols such as the rosebush at the prison, Hester 's daughter Pearl, and the Scarlet Letter itself, among many others., Due to the fact that the scarlet letter represents Hester's sin that produced Pearl. It began in the 19th century as a literary and artistic movement that sought to evoke, rather than describe, ideas or feelings through the use of symbolic images. When Hester tells him that the ship for Europe leaves in four days, he is delighted with the timing. . When she casted off the scarlet letter all her feature returned to her. Explore the symbols in ''The Scarlet Letter'' by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Later, when she becomes a frequent visitor in homes of pain and sorrow, the A is seen to represent "Able" or "Angel." Eventually, his evil is so pervasive that Chillingworth awakens the distrust of the Puritan community and the recognition of Pearl. During the first few years of Hesters punishment, the letter was a daily reminder of shame. What does Pearl look like in The Scarlet Letter? the most prominent theme is that of the many sides of sin. Pearl represents the unseen tumult that is inside of Hester, that even Hester herself cannot see. Symbolism of the Forest in the Scarlet Letter - Phdessay In literature, symbolism is the deepness and hidden meaning behind the story. For years, Dimmesdales life is defined by an internal conflict - his job demands his purity in the eye of the townspeople, but he desires the acceptance of herself that Hester achieves through her sin being made public. Rather, she is one complicated symbol of an acted off love the passion, an act which was also adultery. What does the sea symbolize in The Pearl? It is described as a symbol of divine judgment and a reminder of Hester's sin. The forest in The Scarlet Letter represents a place of freedom and escape from the strict societal norms of Puritan society.