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The Symbolism of Water

The Symbolism of Water. Mikel Petrossian Mrs. Halajian AP English Period 2. Water. Water is the representation of purification, fertility, health, and the beginning of life. Water is a feminine symbol and therefore it represents women.

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The Symbolism of Water

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  1. The Symbolism of Water Mikel Petrossian Mrs. Halajian AP English Period 2

  2. Water • Water is the representation of purification, fertility, health, and the beginning of life. • Water is a feminine symbol and therefore it represents women. • If a man is afraid of water it may represent he is afraid of women.

  3. Religious Background • Water plays a major role in the bible due to it being known to purify. • Jesus transformed water to wine in order to demonstrate he is a pure source of life. • Baptism with Holy water frees and purifies the soul of sins.

  4. Relation to Scarlet Letter • Used as a component of nature in novel. • Symbolizes the spirit of Hester and Pearl. • Ties together God and religion to Puritan lifestyle and society in the novel.

  5. Examples From Text • “Hester bade little Pearl run down to the margin of the water, and play with the shells and tangled seaweed, until she should have talked awhile with yonder gatherer of herbs.” (Ch:14) • Water symbolizes life. • Also helps contribute to Pearl symbolizing innocence.

  6. Examples From Text • “I saw her, the other day, bespatter the Governor himself with water, at the cattle-trough in Spring Lane.”(Ch:10) • Water causes governors to question weather Pearl is evil or not. • Portrayed with negative meaning in this passage. • As if Pearl thinks Governor is evil and uses this “pure” substance to weaken him by throwing it on him.

  7. Examples From Text • “An idle and vagrant Indian, whom the white man’s fire-water had made riotous about the streets, was to be driven with stripes into the shadow of the forest.” (Ch:2) • White mans fire-water represents his lies. • Implies that major consequences will be given for minor offences determined by Puritan law.

  8. Examples From Text • “Letting the eyes follow along the course of the stream, they could catch the reflected light from its water, at some short distance within the forest, but soon lost all traces of it amid the bewilderment of tree trunks and underbrush.”(Ch:16) • The tree trunks and underbrush conceal the traces of the stream. • Relates to Hester concealing the pure truth that Chillingworth is Pearls father. • Both “pure” stream and the truth are hidden.

  9. Examples From Text • “But the little stream would not be comforted, and still kept telling its unintelligible secret of some very mournful mystery that had happened.”(Ch:16) • Water embodies secrets and mysteries. • Relates to mysteries that are hidden deep in the sea. • It serves as a hiding place where the mystery is concealing itself.

  10. Examples From Text • “Looking across a basin of the sea.”(Ch:5) • Hester is religiously based by her decision to live in a house “looking across a basin of the sea.” • She enjoys being accompanied by water. • Also represents God.

  11. Examples From Text • “The vessel had recently arrived from the Spanish Main, and, within three days’ time would sail for Bristol.”(Ch:20) • Prynne and Dimmesdale plan to flee to England. • Sea represents freedom and an escape away from old world and passage into the new world.

  12. Relation to Greek Mythology • Poseidon was the god of water, the sea, wells, and rivers. • Was replied on by sailors to complete safe voyages on the sea. • Many horses were drowned in sacrifice to his honor.

  13. Water on Earth • The amount of water on earth has stayed the same for 2 billion years. • If all the water in the world could fit into a gallon jug, the amount of fresh water would equal to a tablespoon. • Ground water can take a human life time just to move a mile. • A quarter of the world's population is without safe drinking water.

  14. Random Facts • A small drip from a faucet can waste as much as 75 liters of water a day. • A person can live about a month without food, but only about a week without water. • Americans use five times the amount of water that Europeans use. • It takes 1,500 gallons of water to process one barrel of beer.

  15. Works Cited • http://www.123helpme.com/assets/12552.html • http://www.mythsdreamssymbols.com/dswater.html • http://www.helium.com/tm/661660/scarlet-symbolthere-examples-symbolism • http://www.monmouth.com/~literature/Scarlet/scarlet15.htm#6 • http://ecoethics.net/hsev/sche1997.htm • http://www.eduessays.com/Essays-on-the-scarlet-letter-symbol-water1.html

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