Hyatt Waggoner, a noted Hawthorne scholar, says, "The Scarlet Letter is Hawthorne"s most widely read and admired novel and is also the one that has inspired the most inconclusive debate . . ." Waggoner 118. Much of the trouble in interpreting The Scarlet Letter stems from the fact that the story is highly symbolic. The Scarlet Letter opens with the stark image of the throng of people surrounding the prison door. Hawthorne creates a mood by using the, "sadcolored," garment and, "gray, steeplecrowned hats," to give the reader a feeling a gloom and sadness. Among these dark, sad images Hawthorne...
symbol of Hester doing the right thing in being humbled for her indiscretions.

In conclusion, whether or not Hawthorne would intentionally picture a woman and a sinner as a Christ figure is not a question that can be answered within the scope of this paper. The similarities are too strong to ignore. The red of the A is representative of Christ"s blood. Hester, like Christ, went to her cross in satisfaction of another"s sins. The problem of Christ being sinless and Hester not is solved by Hawthorne, as he portrays Hester as the highest moral character in the novel.