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lonely life as “alone and alienation”. Later, the townspeople who condemned her now believe the scarlet letter symbolizes her beautiful needlework and her unselfish assistance to others, the meaning of the letter “A” changes its meaning into being “able, angel and admirable”.
Without a doubt, the scarlet letter “A” produces to huge function to the heroine, it standardizes her behaviour, raises her moral excellence but suppresses her instinct, increases her pain; it recompenses her evil, rescues her soul but has urged her revolt, strengthens her to the pursuit of happiness.

2. The symbolic meaning of the four characters in the novel
In this novel, the symbolic significance of the leading characters’ names, has a special inventive mind and massive symbolic techniques, causes the work to be vague, dim, pregnant with meaning, also enables the reader to have the clue to observe, and provides full thinking, comprehension and choice leeway, causes the novel to have the multi-layered significance.

2.1 Hester Prynne---the open scarlet letter “A”
Hester Prynne wears the letter on the breast of her gown in fire red cloth, surrounded with elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread. “A” is a token of sin and punishment. It tells of the ignominy of a woman who has broken scriptural and statutory law in a community dedicated to the maintenance of the authority of the Law. Furthermore, “A” affords people much food for thought. The letter “A” is the first letter of Hester’s fellowman, Arthur Dimmesdale, as well as the first letter of the word “amour”, which comes from French with the meaning of love. Hester is loyal and faithful to her lover. In order to protect her partner, she is willing to bear the shame. She can leave the disgraceful place to live respectably after her prison life instead of staying there. But she does not. Love gives her great courage and strength to endure hardships. Love is her spiritual prop to expect a bright future. Moreover, the letter “A” is the symbol of lofty love, it is also the first letter of Adam, our earliest ancestor. It is a direct consequence of the sin coming from Adam and Eve. The following are the words describing the brilliant Pearl, the sin of Hester, in Chapter Ⅵ, “By its perfect shape, its vigor and… , the infant was worthy to have been brought forth in Eden; worthy to have been left there, to be the plaything of the angels, after the world’s first parents were driven out.” They imply the letter “A” is a token of sin resulting in the reproductive capacity of human being. By this reason, Hester is described as a beautiful, noble woman instead of a licentious one. She is the code name of pursuing real love and happiness and of striving for her unique personality.
Gradually, the letter “A” becomes “able” with the genuine sympathy and helps Hester offer disinterested assistance to her fellow villagers. Later in the story, the letter “A” appears in the sky, signifying “angel”. At the end of the story, the letter is carved on the gravestone standing for “angel”, “affection” and “admirable” as well.

2.2 Arthur Dimmesdale---the concealed scarlet letter “A”
While Hester Prynne is the open scarlet letter “A”, Arthur Dimmesdale is the concealed one. For Hawthorne’s part, human sin will get punished, one way or another. As for Arthur Dimmesdale, it is a good example. Therefore, Hawthorne designs Dimmesdale