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The Scarlet Letter Motifs

Motifs and symbols tracked across analyzed chapters, with links back to chapter summaries and chapter analysis pages.

Scarlet Letter

20 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10
Summary ch. 11Analysis ch. 11
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15
Summary ch. 16Analysis ch. 16
Summary ch. 17Analysis ch. 17
Summary ch. 18Analysis ch. 18
Summary ch. 19Analysis ch. 19
Summary ch. 21Analysis ch. 21
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22
Summary ch. 23Analysis ch. 23
Summary ch. 24Analysis ch. 24

Black secret of the soul

9 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 11Analysis ch. 11
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15
Summary ch. 17Analysis ch. 17
Summary ch. 18Analysis ch. 18
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20
Summary ch. 23Analysis ch. 23

Alchemy/Medicine

8 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10
Summary ch. 11Analysis ch. 11
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13
Summary ch. 17Analysis ch. 17

Luxurious attire

8 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20
Summary ch. 21Analysis ch. 21
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22
Summary ch. 24Analysis ch. 24

Medicine/Physician

6 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20
Summary ch. 21Analysis ch. 21
Summary ch. 23Analysis ch. 23
Summary ch. 24Analysis ch. 24

Overgrown vegetation

6 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15
Summary ch. 16Analysis ch. 16
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20

Prison door

6 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1
Summary ch. 2Analysis ch. 2
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8

Secret Covenant

6 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14
Summary ch. 17Analysis ch. 17
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20

Sunshine/Light

6 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 16Analysis ch. 16
Summary ch. 18Analysis ch. 18
Summary ch. 19Analysis ch. 19
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20
Summary ch. 21Analysis ch. 21
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22

Cemetery proximity

5 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20
Summary ch. 24Analysis ch. 24

Cottage isolation

5 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13
Summary ch. 24Analysis ch. 24

Forest (primeval wilderness)

5 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 16Analysis ch. 16
Summary ch. 17Analysis ch. 17
Summary ch. 18Analysis ch. 18
Summary ch. 19Analysis ch. 19
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20

Public scaffold

5 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22
Summary ch. 23Analysis ch. 23
Summary ch. 24Analysis ch. 24

Brook (melancholy stream)

4 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 16Analysis ch. 16
Summary ch. 18Analysis ch. 18
Summary ch. 19Analysis ch. 19
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20

Public perception of Hester

4 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13
Summary ch. 17Analysis ch. 17
Summary ch. 21Analysis ch. 21
Summary ch. 23Analysis ch. 23

Armor

3 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22

Election Sermon

3 occurrencesrecurring
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22
Summary ch. 23Analysis ch. 23

Needlework

3 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7
Summary ch. 24Analysis ch. 24

Seafaring foreign presence

3 occurrencesrecurring
Summary ch. 21Analysis ch. 21
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22
Summary ch. 24Analysis ch. 24

Self‑condemnation

3 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 11Analysis ch. 11
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20

Black Man (mythic figure)

2 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 16Analysis ch. 16
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22

Meteoric letter ‘A’

2 occurrencesemerging
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15

Public holiday procession

2 occurrencesemerging
Summary ch. 21Analysis ch. 21
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22

Rose bush at the threshold

2 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8

Vigils

2 occurrencesemerging
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13

Witch (Mistress Hibbins)

2 occurrencesemerging
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22

Alchemy/necromancy

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 24Analysis ch. 24

Iron Pen (Black Man's book)

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 16Analysis ch. 16

Military music

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22

Military Music/Procession

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 23Analysis ch. 23

Overgrown vegetation (burdock, pig-weed, apple-pern)

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1

Rusty iron spikes

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1

Vigils and fasting

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 11Analysis ch. 11