some sort of demon from hell that has committed a terrible crime. This letter is meant to be worn in shame, and to make Hester feel unwanted. “Here, she said to herself, had been the scene of her guilty, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment…” The scarlet letter “A” also stands for Hester’s lonrly life in New England. After she is released, Hester lives in a cottage near the outskirts of the city. “It had been built by an earlier settler, and abandoned, because the soil about it was too sterile for cultivation, while its comparative remoteness put it out of the sphere of that social activity which already marked the habits of the emigrants.” Hester’s social life is virtually eliminated as a result of her shameful history. Hester comes to have a part to perform in the world with her native energy of character and rare capacity. “However, there was nothing that made her feel as if she belonged to it. Every gesture, every word, and even the silence of those with whom she came to contact, implied, and often expressed, that she was banished, and as much alone as if she inhabited another sphere, or communicated with the common nature by other organs and senses than the rest of human kind. She stood apart from moral interests…seemed to be the sole portion that she retained in the universal heart.” Hester has no friends in the world, and little Pearl is the only companion of her lonely life, so the scarlet letter “A” also is a symbol of the words “alone” and “alienat英语论文网 【http://www.51lunwen.org】e”. Later, the scarlet letter “A” changes its meaning into being able, angel, and admirable. The townspeople who condemned her now believe the scarlet letter to stand for her ability to her beautiful needlework and for her unselfish assistance to the poor and sick. “ The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness is found in her so much power to do and power to sympathize --- that many people refuses to interpret the scarlet letter ‘A’ by its original signification.” At this point, a lot of townspeople realize what a noble character Hester processes. “Do you see that woman with the embroidered badge? It is our Hester --- the town’s own Hester --- who is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comforting to the afflicted!” The townspeople soon begin to believe that the badge served to ward off evil, and Hester overcomes the shame of her sin through the purity and goodness of her soul. Unselfishly, offering her time and love to those who need her most proves that she is not worthy of the fate which has been dealt to her.
Being a religious sinner who has severely profaned God and thus considered as a betrayal, Hester Prynne, like all the others, also enjoys God’s universal love. We can find out through her words and deeds that, although she has made a terrible mistake, she doesn’t separate herself from God consequently. Instead, she accepts all the punishment society forces upon her and behaves gently and kindly. What she acts is just a good eviden
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