Examples Of Light And Darkness In The Scarlet Letter

By revealing this small, hidden regret, he exposes Hester’s tortured state of mind. Unable to reach salvation in the town she desired to live in, she regretfully decided to leave and abandon her sorrows. The burden society placed on her with the scarlet letter was too demanding for her to handle any longer. Similarly, Arthur Dimmesdale was distressed from his ignominy. Afraid of societal repercussions, Dimmesdale had been “overcome with a great horror of mind, as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast” (102). Society’s extensive honor toward him exacerbated his pain, thus causing society to trap Dimmesdale; this prevented him from revealing his dark secret and reaching salvation. Additionally, he began to picture his surroundings as an obstacle designed to hinder his path to redemption. His shortcoming to reach salvation agonized Dimmesdale to the point where he was incapable of recalling “[any] text of Scripture, nor aught else, except a brief, pithy, and, as it then appeared to him, unanswerable argument against the immorality of

Reverend Dimmesdale was a renowned, prideful man stricken with sin and extreme guilt.  From the time Hester and Dimmesdale made love, he was grievous of his sin but he also felt a great love towards her.  Dimmesdale's stubborn pride troubled him greatly, and although he tried many times, he could not confess his sin to his religious followers.  Dimmesdale felt guilt so strongly that he scourged himself on his breast and patterned an “A” into his own flesh, yet he could not confess his sin until his grief grew so great it caused him to perish.  Reverend Dimmesdale's sin was greater than Hester's because he let his pride conflict with his repentance, and let his life be ruined by his anguish.

Hawthorne adds to The Scarlet Letter is when he explains the prison as “the black flower of civilized society” (2). By this Hawthorne means that the prison is a place of evil and a place that conceals the truth, in the event that Hester is being held there with the truth about her adulterous act. Hawthorne also describes Pearl’s eyes as having “another face, in the small black mirror”, instead of holding her mother’s “own miniature portrait” (48). This explains that Pearl’s eyes were empty and filled with sin as she came into life as a result of Hester’s scarlet letter. Another example of how Hawthorne uses the color black, as symbolism, is when Chillingworth states: “Even in the graveyard here at hand, they are new to me. I found them growing on a grave, which bore no tombstone, nor other memorial of the dead man, save these ugly remembrance. They grew out of his heart, and typify, it may be, some hideous secret that was buried with him, and with he had done better to confess during his lifetime” (83). This takes place when Roger Chillingworth brings Arthur Dimmesdale herbs with dark, flabby leaves. By this quote, Hawthorne implies that the herbs that Chillingworth had collected had no meaning but to signify evil that had been growing out of the grave, the remains that were left from the dead man who had been buried there. Another major part of The Scarlet Letter also comes from the symbolism of the color black

Plato was a famous Greek philosopher born 427 B.C. who lived in Athens, was taught by Socrates, and a great Epistemologist. An Epistemologist is someone who studies human logic, and methods. On the topic of epistemology, Plato once said “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy is when men are afraid of the light.” Light and dark are vivid symbols in The Scarlet Letter. Characters in the book The Scarlet Letter are affected by this concept of light and dark in three ways: the difference in the characters personalities of Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth, second, it depicts lack of intelligence and/or ignorance in the townspeople as a form

The mind is a human’s greatest advantage as well as one’s greatest disadvantage. The mind can remind people of when they are at their worst. It eats away at a person as their mistakes are replayed over and over in their head. Some ease their mind by airing their pain to those who will listen. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author uses sunlight to communicate the idea that it is best to acknowledge one’s wrongdoings in order to live a life without torment and heartache.

Dimmesdale’s feeling of guilt drives him crazy that he begins to suffer from health and mental problems which was caused by his self torture to himself as well. In the book, Hawthorne described how he had “bloody scourge” that he made someone “plied it on his shoulders” and how he would “fast...until his knees trembled beneath him” and kept vigils on most nights (Hawthorne 141). He was serving himself with the punishment for his sin instead of making the officials decide his punishment. As a preacher, he knows the right thing is to be honest and accept his sin but does not have the courage and strength to publicly admit it. As the reader's progress further in the book, Hawthorne describes Dimmesdale reaching the “spot where now so long since,Hester Prynne had lived through her first public ignominy”(Hawthorne 143).

Nothing good ever happens in the dark, that is where the face of sin hides. Throughout The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, elements of light and dark are seen connected with sin, secrets, purity, and confession. Hawthorne precisely choices language throughout this novel that use light and darkness as elements to represent, the darkness in evil, and the goodness in light. Hawthorne writes using these elements focusing on great attention on Dimmesdale until the end of the novel. Dimmesdale hides his greatest sins in the shadows, he is plaguing his mind, body, and sole as he battles with the final confession of his crime.

Arthur Dimmesdale, in contrast to Hester, refuses to reveal the act of adultery, instead allowing it to weaken him throughout the novel. The status of Dimmesdale is very different compared to Hester; a highly regarded reverend, Dimmesdale is determined to keep the sin a secret from the beginning. The deed already seems to be troubling him from the beginning, as he is described as having “an air about [him]—an apprehensive, a startled, a half-frightened look—as of a being who found himself […] at a loss in the pathway of human existence” (Hawthorne 63). Despite this, Dimmesdale attempts to keep his composure to the best of his ability, although it becomes very obvious that something is wrong with him. As time passes, Dimmesdale’s health begins to plummet; he is described as “emaciated: his voice […] had a certain melancholy prophecy of decay in it; he was often observed […] to put his hand over his heart, with first a flush and then a paleness, indicative of pain” (113).

From this sin came a very happy and energetic girl “Pearl”. So from the beginning, we see the sin that was committed. We only know half of who the sin truly belongs. “I thee to speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and fellow-sufferer! Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him; for, believe me, Hester, though he were to step down from a high place, and stand there beside thee, on thy pedestal of shame, yet better were it so, than to hide a guilty heart through life.” (Hawthorne 53) This is the first time we get a glimpse of guilt and the possibility that Dimmsdale is the fellow-sinner. As a preacher who speaks against sin, this is extremely hard for him. He wants to tell the truth but Hester won’t let him. This sin begins to completely consume one character the Reverend Dimmsdale. The guilt he feels drives him mad and causes him to carve an “A” into his chest and wonders the streets while asleep trying to let his sin be known. He even sits upon the gallows trying to tell people. The secret sin within this work was the sin of adultery not for Hester but her lover Dimmesdale. Throughout his works he speaks of different sins such is the case in the Ministers Black Veil.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Mr. Dimmesdale's most evident dread is that the townspeople will get some answers concerning his transgression of infidelity with Hester Prynne. Mr. Dimmesdale fears that his spirit couldn't take the disgrace of such a revelation, as he is an imperative good figure in the public eye. Be that as it may, in not admitting his transgression to people in general, he endures the blame of his wrongdoing, an agony which is exacerbated by the torments of Roger Chillingworth. In spite of the fact that he reliably picks coerce over disgrace, Mr. Dimmesdale experiences a significantly more difficult experience than Hester, who persevered through people in general disgrace of the red letter. Mr. Dimmesdale's

Reverend Author Dimmesdale chastises himself by failing to take ownership for his actions. Contrary to his initial thoughts, keeping his adultery a secret took a severe toll on his conscience. Dimmesdale said to Hester and Pearl, “Them, and there, before the judgement-seat, they mother, and thou, and I must stand together, But the daylight of the world shall not see our meeting!” (Hawthorne 143). Dimmesdale shows his cowardliness by portraying his intentions on his “family” by saying the only person that can know about his sin is God and they. Overtime, his mental and physical state starts to diminish due to the weight of lie on his conscience. Dimmesdale confesses, “I should long ago have thrown off these garments of mock holiness, and have shown myself to mankind as they will see me at the judgment-seat. Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret!”(Hawthorne 190). Dimmesdale, finally, realizes and admits the lethal effect of guilt on his conscience. He proves that by not acknowledging one’s sins is a far-more severe punishment than being honest and accepting one’s punishment. Moreover, Hawthorne utilizes Dimmesdale to demonstrate how dishonesty can dwindle the well-being of an

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, the sunshine can be seen as a developing symbol of true happiness in the characters’ lives. The sunshine never fails to shine on Pearl, for she is happy and pure, but it refuses to shine on Hester. When Pearl realizes this she says “Mother, the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom” (Hawthorne 165). Pearl realizes that the reason Hester cannot be in the light is due to her scarlet letter. It is also shown that the light does not shine upon Dimmesdale because of the sin he carries in his heart. The lack of light develops the idea that even Pearl cannot bring Hester absolute happiness as long as she wears the scarlet letter and Dimmesdale

How do you move forward in life when your past is holding you back? In the book Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, two of the four main characters commit a sin that could ruin their lives forever. Even if all the weight that is brought upon them by the sin its self wasn’t enough, when the townspeople of 17th Century Boston find out they soon realize that the worst is coming for them. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne uses the symbols of light and dark to depict good and evil among the characters Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, the contrast between light and darkness, or the absence of light, is prevalent. Hawthorne uses light to show society and what it favors, while he uses darkness and shadows to demonstrate what society does not like. The Puritans, a religious group in the 16th and 17th centuries in America, sought to “purify” the church and its believers from the traditional, Catholic ideals. They valued community over individualism and shunned all sinners. Hester Prynne, the main protagonist, commits adultery against her husband with one of the town’s ministers, Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester’s sin is revealed, due to the birth of Pearl, their daughter, while Dimmesdale’s sin is kept hidden. Each character struggles with the views of society and finding their true self in different ways; however, they all struggle with conforming to the ideals of the society. Therefore, light demonstrates the constriction of the true human nature by society, while darkness allows one to be unique and free from social constraints.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlett Letter is a satire based around a Puritan culture published in the 1850’s. The novel is based around Hester Prynne, who commits adultery against her husband Roger Chillingworth. Hester’s sin causes her daughter Pearl and her to be treated wrongly by the Puritans. The Puritans are ruthless and harsh towards sinners such as Hester Prynne, unlike the natural world which is merciful and kind. The novel tells a story of characters trying to find their way into the sympathetic light or lose their way into the deep despair of darkness. Hawthorne uses sunshine or light as an element of forgiveness and innocence, while using the darkness to symbolize the evil. The contradiction between the light and darkness can be depicted between Pearl who is favored by the sunshine, Hester who is later favored, and Chillingworth who is enveloped by the evil darkness.