The Scarlet Letter

"The effect of the symbol-or rather, of the position in respect to society that was indicated by it-on the mind of Hester Prynne herself, was powerful and peculiar. All the light and graceful foliage of her character had been withered up by his red-hot brand, and had long ago fallen away, leaving a bare and harsh outline, which might have been repulsive, had she possessed friends or companions to be repelled by it" (Hawthorne 112).

This quote is said by the narrator, describing Hester Prynne's feelings towards the scarlet A on her chest. She felt that the letter showed people that she was powerful, and she was flaunting the letter rather than feeling ashamed of it and trying to cover it up. She thought it was odd that committing the crime and having this punishment for it could give her such power and strength. The light in the second sentence of the sentence shows her disguise, that had been ruined by the A. All of the "light" had changed or faded away. All that was left of her was just herself, as if a tree that had lost all its leaves. The A had degraded her, and if she had any friends, they would have been driven away from her due to the letter. Although other people thought the letter made her weaker, she thought it made herself stronger. This quotes importance is that Hester finally realized what the A really means to her.