Color in The Scarlet Letter
Any student, who has enjoyed or endured any class concerning English or Literature, is entirely familiar with symbolism. The concept is present in every piece of classic literature, and in the extremely vast majority of literature in its entirety. From Hamlet to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, symbols are present. Every piece of work that is used is used for the purpose of stripping the work of all of its outer shell and chewing on the very bones that give it its structure. Few novels are as widely taught and dissected as The Scarlet Letter, and logic would lead us to believe this is because of its abundance of symbols. When considering symbols, the type most commonly seen in literature is color, and The Scarlet Letter is no exception.
The color most notorious in the novel is obviously scarlet, or rather red in general. Historically, the color red has been seen as a symbol of passionate love, seduction, violence, danger, anger, and adventure. Our prehistoric ancestors saw red as the color of fire and blood, and most of red’s symbolism today arises from its powerful associations in the past. Red is also extremely effective at capturing attention. This is due to the way the color red is received in the retinas. Thus, it is only fitting that red is the symbol of Hester’s crime. Adultery is a crime of passion, love, and seduction. It is also extremely powerful in its connotation, as the crime of adultery is an absolute abomination in a Puritan society. In Chapter 2, a group of women discuss the potential for punishment concerning Hester’s sin. “At the very least, they should have but the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead. Madame Hester would have winced at that, I warrant me” (Pg. 44) Later, however, the conversation escalates. “This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die. Is there no law for it?” (Pg. 45) The sheer demand for the ultimate penance from the other women of the colony shows us the absolute...