The Scarlet Letter - The A

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, the letter "A" changes it's meaning many different times. This change is significant. It shows growth in the characters, and the community in which they live. The letter "A" begins as a symbol of sin. It then becomes a symbol of her ability to do and help things, and finally it becomes a symbol of her respect for herself. The letter "A," worn on Hester's bodice, is a symbol …

…to be her penitence." (244) Hester was in no way legally or religiously bound to wear the badge. She did though. She had found her home in New England, and that is where she intended to stay. The three changes in the scarlet letter were significant, and they showed her sin, her ability and her life. Hester was a strong, admirable woman who went through more emotional torture that most people go through in a lifetime.