The word
scarlet is actually a synonym for the word red; it's not used as often as it used to be, but red
is what scarlet is. Scarlet is a deep, dark, intense red, very vibrant and rich. So, the
scarlet letter A thatwears is of that sort of color. Hawthorne actually describes the letter in
more details, as Hester stands in front of the crowd to be mocked and stared at as part of her
punishment. Near the beginning of the first chapter, when Hester steps out of the prison,
Hawthorne describes the A thus:
"On the breast of her
gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of
gold thread, appeared the letter A. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and
gorgeous luxuriance of fancy..."
From this
description, we can ascertain that it was a very fancy letter, sewed on with gold, shiny
thread. It stood out boldly on her dress, and showed great ability in terms of talent at
sewing. Compared to the black-garbed, dim Puritans that she stood in front of, it had to have
stood out quite a bit. The colors-bright red, and shiny gold, would have been a rare sight for
many of the Puritan people of that time. It is even described as fantastic, luxurious, and
gorgeous. I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!
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