The house symbolizes different things for each character

The house symbolizes different things for each character. For Ruth, it symbolizes a sense of isolation, and otherworldliness. With being cut off from town, and everyone else that she knew. For Hester, the house represents a place where she had once been happy, and where her life had a meaning. She knew what her life would be like in that house, and it allowing her to be close to her father who had passed away. For Bruce, it symbolizes failure, but also some sort of desperation of trying to hold on to what was lost. Hester was attached to the place even though Ruth was hoping to sell, “The House means so much to her. But maybe she won’t mind” Ruth was telling Arthur Manning when he came by to buy the place. Ruth hated being so far away from town, and Hester never wanted to leave or see anyone else. She had a choice to leave and she never did. To her, the house was where she was meant to be, it was her world, and she didn’t think anyone else should take that from her. Bruce was conflicted. Part of him wanted to keep the house, to preserve the memory of his father, and the land they had worked so hard on to produce any crop, but another part knew he needed to sell. The land was to dry to grow anything and his wife was desperate to be closer to town, and he wanted to make her happy.