What suggestion does Hawthorne make with the rosebush in The Scarlet Letter?

Answer 1

Hawthorne employed many literary elements into The Scarlet Letter. On almost every page you can find one. Two common examples are:

"He now dug into the poor clergyman's heart, like a miner searching for gold; or, rather, like a sexton delving into a grave, possibly in quest of a jewel that had been buried on the dead man's bosom, but likely to find nothing save mortality and corruption" (Hawthorne 117). - Simile

"We have as yet hardly spoken of the infant; 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" (Hawthorne 81). - Metaphor

Answer 2

In "The Scarlet Letter," the rosebush symbolizes nature's ability to heal and renew, providing a contrast to the harsh judgment and punishment of the Puritan society. Hawthorne suggests the potential for beauty and hope even in the midst of sin and suffering.

Answer 3

Hawthorne's suggestion with the rosebush in the Scarlet Letter is significant in that it shows survival and beauty in the dark Puritan life. Which also may refer to Hester Prynne herself.