Descriptions

Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, uses many symbols in his writing. There are four main characters in this book: Hester Prynne; Pearl, Hester's daughter; Roger Chillingworth, Hester's husband; and Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester's lover and Pearl's father. Hawthorne uses description in his characters through their names.

Hester Prynne is the main character, a beautiful woman. She is strong-willed and extremely prideful. "The young woman was tall, with a figure of perfect elegance on a large scale" (Hawthorne 46). This beautiful, but rebellious lady, commits adultery and has a child because of it. Ester in the Bible is beautiful and strong-willed, just like Hester. Sin rhymes with "Prynne" and gives us a slight description of Hester's life. Her personality description goes with her name very well.

Pearl is the result of Hester's sin. Hester comes up with the name Pearl because, "she named the infant 'Pearl,' as being of great price--purchased with all she had--her mother's only treasure" (79). She is bought with one of the greatest possible prices, people's lives and happiness. "Her mother, with a morbid purpose that may be understood hereafter, had bought the richest tissues that could be procured, and allowed her imaginative facility its full play in the arrangement and decoration of the dresses which the child wore before the public eye" (80). She symbolizes the "A" in that she is her mother's conscience and her mother dresses her in the same colors and in the rich material.

Arthur Dimmesdale is a weak character. He is a pale person who has many flaws. He, being Pearl's father and Hester's lover, had to keep his sin hidden because he is the minister of Boston. He comes into close contact with Hester's husband who realizes he is Hester's lover and wants revenge on him. Dimmesdale gradually starts to die away and comes to depend strongly on Hester. He asks her for strength when he has none, or very little. "Twine thy strength about me! Thy strength, Hester; but let is be guided by the will which God hath granted me" (230). At the last scaffold scene, he depends heavily on Hester for strength and ends up dying after letting his secret out and letting truth be shown.

Roger Chillingworth is a cold and distant person. He carries an air of coldness about him. He marries