Before we began The Scarlet Letter unit,
scarlet, to me, was just a pretentious way of saying red. I spent a good few
minutes trying to search "The Scarlett Letter" on google, but instead
just continuously ending up with Scarlett Johansson all over my search
results.
Since then, I've heard the class
discuss many connotations of the colors red and scarlet. In class, red was
always seen as the color of the devil—dark and evil. We
always assume that any red is the color of sin, which is why Hester has to wear
her symbol in scarlet, and why she dresses pearl in all red to remind her of her
sins. Even Wikipedia, the most valid source of all time, mentions how “scarlet
is often associated with immortality and sin, particularly prostitution or sin.”
Yet, I’ve grown up knowing red as a
color of celebration and happiness. In the Chinese Culture, red is commonly
seen during Chinese New Year and weddings. Whereas brides in the western world
wear white, Chinese brides are clad in vibrant red. White is worn to funerals
instead. It’s difficult to categorize colors with a specific connotation when
they could have completely different meanings to different people with
different backgrounds and cultures. Besides, how can
you assume red is all bad when you've got these?
