Pearl is a symbol for Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale’s adultery that they cannot escape. The other members of the society have deemed her the devil child because of how she portrays herself. This is reinforced with Pearls captivation in Hester’s scarlet letter. Pearl embodies a tangible symbol of sin who has no humanity unless the truth is revealed and Dimmesdale can achieve peace from within.
The meteor that appears over the town is a symbol for the A that Dimmesdale must wear. Dimmesdale was never persecuted like Hester and forced to wear a symbol that indicates her sin to the society. Thus, the meteor represents the symbolic A that Dimmesdale must wear because he committed adultery and he should have a symbol that represents his sin.
The prison being the first building the society constructs symbolizes that people will falter even in a utopian society. As humans we make mistakes and the society embraces that concept and builds the prison. This is symbolic that even with a mass effort to live your life purely, it is human nature to act on an impulse or defy the social norms. Thus, the prison symbolizes human nature and even a symbol of confinement cannot deter people from acting upon their true feelings.
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