Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism throughout the entirety of The Scarlet Letter. A symbol is an object, a character, a figure, or a color that is meant to represent an abstract idea or concept. Some of the symbols Hawthorne uses are more in depth than others and carry a heavier meaning. However, despite the depth of the meaning, each symbol holds an important role in the story told. A few of these important symbols include the prison door, the rosebush growing outside the prison, the scarlet letter on Hester Prynne’s chest, Pearl, the black man, Roger Chillingworth, the forest, and the mark on Arthur Dimmesdale’s chest. One of the first symbols introduced in the novel is the prison and its door. The prison after “some fifteen or twenty yearswas already marked with weather-stains and other indications of age” (Hawthorne 46). In a like manner, the door of the prison had “never seen a youthful era” and looked “more antique than anything else in the new world” (Hawthorne 46). Hawthorne uses these two objects to symbolize the Puritans’ harsh concept of justice. However, growing nearby the prison there is a rosebush among the weeds. The rosebush is meant to represent forgiveness as well as the sainthood of Hester Prynne who supposedly caused the bush to grow as she walked into the prison. Hester Prynne introduces two of the more important symbols as she walks through the prison door. These symbols are the scarlet letter and her daughter Pearl. The scarlet letter represents sin of adultery towards the beginning of the novel. It is used to openly shame the wearer for his or her sin. Hester represents the control she was taking of her punishment by embroidering the A very well. The letter A rests on her chest “in fine red cloth surrounded with an elaborate embroider, and fantastic flourishes of gold thread” (Hawthorne 51) However, later in the novel the scarlet letter takes on a new meaning. “..They had begun to