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Symbolism, Allegory, and Realism in The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne used several common literary devices in writing The Scarlet Letter, as writers generally do. The three most important ones he used are symbolism, allegory, and realism. Symbolism in the book is what helps emphasize conflicts, characters, links between people and events, and other that aren’t told to you outright. Allegory in the story is what contains the themes central to the book. Realism is …

…most important that you simply understand its importance in the overall reading of a novel; it lets you know what is going on and it makes everything seem more real. In conclusion, Hawthorne uses three very important literary devices to get his point(s) across. With symbolism he emphasizes certain conflicts or events, with allegory he brings out the themes of the novel, and with realism he sets the scene and makes everything more believable.