Throughout history, imagery has been used in literature to provide emotional depth and prevalence to literary works that would otherwise be lost to time. The Scarlet Letter is an emotional novel from the Puritan era that focuses on the harsh and controversial topics of adultery, sin, hypocrisy, and judgment. The Scarlet Letter tells the sentimental story of Hester Prynne, a young Puritan woman who was condemned to wear a scarlet A after committing adultery and creating an illegitimate daughter, Pearl, with the saintly Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. The author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, uses a unique and unparalleled style that incorporates old-fashioned words, thought-provoking symbolism, and rich irony. Hawthorne's writing style provides deep meaning to many everyday objects such as a rose bush and a prison door. One of the most important objects, the scarlet letter, experiences many transformations in its symbolism. Throughout The Scarlet Letter, the eponymous scarlet letter takes on the role of a beautiful symbol of sin and adultery, a material representation of Pearl, and a manifestation of holiness and strength. At the beginning of The Scarlet Letter, the scarlet A represents a more obvious form and linear concept: adultery. In the Puritan era, committing the sinful act of adultery was illegal and punishable by a variety of sentences. When Hester Prynne commits adultery, she is forced to wear the scarlet letter on her chest because she refuses to confess who her partner is. The presence of the scarlet letter changes Puritan society's view of Hester. The initial role of the scarlet letter as an allegory of sin is projected onto Hester as a whole. Young people are taught to “look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her chest, – her, the… center of the card… her evolution as a symbol over time. The scarlet A takes many different forms; at the end of The Scarlet Letter, the scarlet A is the polar opposite of itself. It transforms from a representation of sin to a symbol of holiness, two completely opposite concepts. The previously explored concepts are not restrictions, as the scarlet letter can take on many other meanings. Symbolism is a complicated matter; each individual reader's interpretation is different: John Green, a modern American author, states that "books belong to their readers". If this is to be true, then all interpretations of the symbolism of the Scarlet A must be considered acceptable, regardless of whether Hawthorne intended them or not. Once the manuscript leaves the writer's hands and the novel is distributed to the public, the author's literary work of art becomes a puzzle that the reader puts together in his own way..