Narrator

One of the most obvious problems when discussing The Scarlet Letter is determining the Identity of the narrator. This difficulty is clearly intentional In the second paragraph of "The Custom-House,", Hawthorne claims that he is merely "explaining how a large portion of the following pages came into [his] possession," hoping to offer "proofs of the authenticity of a narrative therein contained." Hawthorne proclaims himself only an editor, "or very little more." Yet later he states that "I have allowed myself... nearly or altogether as much license as if the facts had been entirely of my own invention,"' and all he is willing to verify is "the authenticity of the outline" Thus Hawthorne's characteristic use of ambiguity is both a central theme and a central technique of the novel.

Symbolism

The Scarlet Letter is rich WIth symbols; m fact, it is largely regarded as the first symbolic novel...