- "...[There grew] a wild rose-bush...covered with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty...in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and be kind" (Hawthorne 45-6).
- "It may serve, let us hope, to symbolize some sweet moral blossom, that may be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow" (Hawthorne 46).
Meaning in Novel:
- Comfort and longevity of the natural world
- Stark comparison between prison and freedom
- Human nature's possible morality and fortitude
- Potential for hope, beauty, and salvation
Traditional Meaning:
- Love and resurrection (Greek)
- Blood shed by Jesus during his crucifixion (Christian)
- Passion, beauty, happiness, and perfection
The Rose Bush:
Page Number and Chapter:
- Chapter 1, Page 46Line:
- "...[There grew] a wild rose-bush...covered with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty...in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and be kind" (Hawthorne 45-6).- "It may serve, let us hope, to symbolize some sweet moral blossom, that may be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow" (Hawthorne 46).
Meaning in Novel:
- Comfort and longevity of the natural world- Stark comparison between prison and freedom
- Human nature's possible morality and fortitude
- Potential for hope, beauty, and salvation
Traditional Meaning:
- Love and resurrection (Greek)- Blood shed by Jesus during his crucifixion (Christian)
- Passion, beauty, happiness, and perfection