Symbolism

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Recommended: Light and dark imagery in the heart of darkness

Hawthorne consistently uses light and dark imagery and symbolism throughout his American romantic novel, The Scarlet Letter. Light, associated with good, holy characteristics or attributes, delineates Pearl, and the repentance and admittance of sin. Contrastly, darkness relates to evil, immoral elements. Romanticism beliefs distrust society and strict standards, whereas Puritan opinion, the setting the novel takes place in, strict religious rules make up the foundation of society. This contrast of romanticism versus puritanism, very well could mirror the good versus evil theme Hawthorne creates. Romantics believe God exists in nature; God controls the sun. Through the use of light and dark symbols in The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne portrays characters as good or evil.

In one of the first scenes of the book, Hester emerges from the dark prison into the light. While all who knew her in the town “had expected to behold her dimmed and obscured by a disastrous cloud”, instead, by the admission of her sin, Hawthorne claims “her beauty shone out, and made a halo”(62). By using the word “halo”, the author makes Hester appear holy, which contrasts with the Puritan ideals, considering Hester committed adultery. On her chest, the letter “A” provides a constant reminder for her and all the townspeople that gawk at her. Because of her admission, and the scarlet letter she bears, Hester becomes pure in the eyes of Hawthorne and God, through the symbol of light.

Chaves 2

The forest, viewed as a dark symbol throughout the entire novel, highlights Dimmesdale’s immorality. The weather in the forest, often described as gloomy and dark, contributes to the mood. Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the forest to conspire a plan of escape from ...

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...rth’s immorality. However, Hester redeems herself from this second sin as well. She decides to tell Dimmesdale of her second secret. The darkness of Chillingworth’s nature reveals this second sin on Hester’s part (Haugh 270).
In conclusion, Hawthorne explores the characters morality in the usage of light and dark symbols. Pearl, the most moral character, has the sunshine shining down upon her, whereas Chillingworth proves to be the most vile of the characters, lurking in the shadows of his vengeance. Dimmesdale and Hester lie somewhere in between. The moral wilderness in which humans roam (can’t come up with a good clincher out of this either)

Works Cited

Haugh, Robert. College English, Vol. 17, No. 5. National Council of Teachers of English, 1956.

Journal.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 2004. Print.

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