Symbolism of Rosebush and Prison Door in The Scarlet Letter Essay Example

The rosebush symbolizes Hester’s individuality amongst the puritans and her relationship dynamic with pearl. In chapter one the rose bush sits at the threshold of a drabby prison. It says it “symbolised some sweet moral blossom that may be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow”(34). The quote shows how rose bush offers some moral hope to the brokenness of the prisoners. The rose bush also has survived and thrived through its harsh environment. It is stated in the qoute, “this rose-bush, by a strange chance, has been kept alive in history; but whether it had merely survived out of the stern old wilderness, so long after the fall of the gigantic pines and oaks that originally overshadowed it''(34). 

Due to the peculiar survival of the rosebush, people believe it “sprung up under the footsteps of the sainted Ann Hutchinson, as she entered the prison-door”(34). Ann Hutchinson was accused of heresy and she was also an outcast in the puritan society just as Hester is an outcast. The rosebush has defied the odds and remained in contact for ages, which mirrors Hester remaining resilient and persevering  through her hardships. Hester is even  described as"her beauty shone out, and made a halo of the misfortune and ignominy in which she was enveloped”(38). The description reiterates the Rosebush acting as a parallel to Hester’s life by displaying  how her enticing beauty and confidence prevailed even in the midst of her public shame.

Pearl has ties to the rosebush as well. There is a parallel between the rosebush supposedly coming after Anne Huthsnon and Pearl being birthed from Hester.   Pearl is described by Hester as  “that little creature, whose innocent life had sprung, by the inscrutable decree of Providence, a lovely and immortal flower, out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty passion” (65) The descriptions of Pearl reveal how astounded  Hester was to see her daughter become a lovely flower despite being  sprung from the indulgence of her own sinful passion. However, Hester is already seeing herself in Pearl, which means that Pearl herself is an outcast. The book states that “the mother’s impassioned state had been the medium through which were transmitted to the unborn infant the rays of its moral life”(66). It is evident in this text  that Hester believes Pearl inherited her mother’s unconventional nature, specifically her passion.

When Hester and Pearl go visit the governor, Pearl is immediately drawn to the rose bush. She “began to cry for a red rose, and would not be pacified”(78). Pearl’s yearning for the red rose represents her unpredictable and independent spirit similar to her mother. Later, the governor asks Pearl who made her and she responds, “that she had not been made at all, but had been plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison-door”(82), which illustrates her attachment to Hester’s passion and her rebellious spirit once more.As Pearl’s fascination with the wild rose bush grows, she associates herself more with what a wild rose stands for: her mothers defiance and passion.

The prison door represents the dull and strict nature of the Puritans, while also exposing the hypocrisy of them.  The first paragraph of the novel portrays how the Puritans conduct themselves by the way they converse(gossip) and how they dress. It states “A throng of bearded men, in sad-coloured garments and grey steeple-crowned hats, inter-mixed with women ... was

assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes”(33). The people surrounding the door lack vibrance and are uptight. The language describing the door reinforces how unwelcoming the Puritans. The spikes represent the threats and menacing punishments of those who challenge the laws. The rust on the door “looked more antique than anything else in the New World” . Like all that pertains to crime, it seemed never to have known a youthful era”(33). The rust on the door suggests that the harsh beliefs of the Puritans is withholding them from advancing in their society. The Puritans were notorious for “othering” those they felt did not live up to their standards. 

The Prison door serves as a barcade between the broken sinners behind the doors and the righteous saints in the outside world. The hypocrisy is glaringly evident. The Puritans act as if they have moral superiority and are quick to condemn others. They have no qualms about publicly shaming others, yet when it comes to their sins, they are silent.  Hester was subject and vulnerable to their judgment since her sin was made public. The people watched as  “The door of the jail being flung open from within there appeared, in the first place, like a black shadow emerging into sunshine…”(37). The use of “black shadow” shows how the Puritans are demonizing Hester and her sin once more.

The dichotomy between the rosebush and the prison door represents the navigation of Hester within the strict puritanical society. The Puritans have continued to treat Hester as a prisoner even out of prison because of her sin.  When they dehumanize Hester for her flaws, they are dehumanizing themselves in the process. The use of imagery and symbolism given when describing the rosebush and the prison door is purposeful. With a deeper look, it reveals that sinning and making mistakes are a part of the human experience. However, denying the validity of this results in a rigin society masked with a facade.