The Semantic Flourish of Symbols in “The Scarlet Letter”

Abstract

Symbolism is one of the most frequently used devices in literature. Hawthorne’s “The scarlet letter” is well known for its multiple and interesting symbols. Many critics have assumed that the whole meaning of the novel is based on the decoding of its symbols. As most of the deinitions on symbols and symbolism are based on cognitive theories, we are going to use a cognitive linguistics approach to explore and decode the different meanings of each symbol. The paper will prove that based on a speciic context each symbol acquires a speciic meaning. They also deteriorate or progress as the subject deteriorates or progresses.