The Symbolism Of Famous Names Within The Scarlet Letter

Notable Names within the Scarlet Letter “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” Solomon expresses in Proverbs that names are to be chosen to represent your true identity, not someone you wish to be. Nathaniel Hawthorne includes Solomon’s idea in his novel, The Scarlet Letter, as he names his characters with symbolic significance. The connotation of light and darkness is established in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter through the symbolic names. Roger Chillingworth, Arthur Dimmesdale, Pearl, and Hester Prynne are all characters who demonstrate this idea throughout the novel. The theme of appearance versus reality is apparent throughout the book as well, as these specific characters begin to dynamically change. Hawthorne gives these characters’ names symbolic meaning as way to emphasize their true identity. The symbolism behind their names has to do with who they really are in society. Also, it the light and dark features of the book as Chillingworth is seen as more of a dark character and Pearl as a light. Each name in Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter presents a new symbol, interpretation, and aspect of light and darkness.
For example, Pearl’s name reveals a lot about the other characters and emphasizes why …show more content…
This symbolism also reveals the theme of appearance versus reality as a way to accentuate the symbolism of the character’s names. Hawthorne also gives these names to his characters in order to develop the symbolism of other scenes in The Scarlet Letter. As a result, many interpretations of the scenes and plot are provided to illustrate the difference between the points of views present in the novel. Each major character’s name in Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter presents various ideas that contribute to the overall understanding of the symbols and