What does the rosebush mean in The Scarlet Letter?

What does the rosebush mean in The Scarlet Letter?

Throughout The Scarlet Letter, a wild rose bush is used as a symbol for freedom, romantic aspiration, and all the things that Puritan society is not. As Pearl’s fascination with the wild rose bush grows, she associates herself more with the symbol of defiance and passion.

What does the rosebush and weeds symbolize in The Scarlet Letter?

Hawthorne chose the rosebush because the rosebush also has thorns that go along with the beautiful petals, which represent how there are always bad things that will happen and those are inevitable. That is why there is the cemetery and prison are the essentials that are important in the colony.

Why do rosebushes cry?

The rose bush could be said to represent Pearl’s lost innocence, something that will forever remain unattainable. That she is denied a rose by Hester is one more example of Pearl’s being deprived of a simple, childlike pleasure. She feels the injustice of it all so terribly keenly that she cries.

What causes Hester’s infant to cry out while she’s standing on the scaffold?

What causes Hester’s infant to cry out while she’s standing on the scaffold? She is frightened by the shouting of the angry crowd. A piece of rotten fruit thrown at Hester accidentally hits her.

Why does Dimmesdale say Hester should keep Pearl?

After they tease Pearl, they threaten to take her away from Hester to ensure she is taught the correct Christian values. Hester argues to keep Pearl by saying she can teach Pearl the faith through her mistakes and trials, but also by saying Pearl is a daily reminder of the sin she committed.

Why does Hester repeatedly refuse to stop wearing the letter?

The letter would prove to have successfully restricted her if she were to become a different person in its absence. Hester chooses to continue to wear the letter because she is determined to transform its meaning through her actions and her own self-perception—she wants to be the one who controls its meaning.

How does Hawthorne set the mood for the prison scene?

In front of the prison stands an unsightly plot of weeds, and beside it grows a wild rosebush, which seems out of place in this scene dominated by dark colors. In this chapter, Hawthorne sets the mood for the “tale of human frailty and sorrow” that is to follow.

How is the Rosebush related to the Scarlet Letter?

Much the same sort of descriptive analyses that can be written about the rosebush could be ascribed to the scarlet letter itself or to little Pearl or, perhaps, even to the act of love that produced them both. Finally, the author points toward many of the images that are significant to an understanding of the novel.

What happens to Hester Prynne in the Scarlet Letter?

That is precisely what happens to Hester Prynne as she is led from the prison house to the scaffold at the center of town to face the condemnation of the entire community in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 masterpiece, The Scarlet Letter.

Why did Hawthorne set aside land for a cemetery?

Hawthorne makes special note that this colony earlier set aside land for both a cemetery and a prison, a sign that all societies, regardless of their good intentions, eventually succumb to the realities of man’s nature (sinful/punishment/prison) and destiny (mortal/death/cemetery).