Scarlet Letter Light And Dark Quotes

Light and Dark Light and dark is an everyday aspect of life, The Scarlet Letter really reveals how light and dark everyone can be. Though it was sometimes hard to read, the book made me think more about the good and evil in everyone. 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.

Hester Prynne is considered a light and dark character in the book; many of the things that are noticeable about Hester in the book involve the sunshine. Hester explains this to Pearl in the book “Thou must gather thine own sunshine I have none to give thee” (Hawthorne 95). This quote is a considered light about Hester because she

Hawthorne explains this further, “It was a ghastly look with which he regarded them; but there was something at once tender and strangely triumphant in it” (229). At first Arthur is shocked that he could get the words out, but since he did, he felt relieved and soon felt happiness as he finally let go of his sin. In this quote, Hawthorne shows how Arthur’s body language reflected his emotions, this explains how the character has faced many trials in the last moments of his life and can finally escape his sin a proud, holy man. Though Arthur is portrayed as such a holy being, he also has darkness in his life. Hawthorne describes some of his darkness, “He trod in the shadowy by-paths and thus kept himself simple and childlike” (62). Arthur was in the shadows much like Hester because of the great sin that he held on his shoulders throughout the novel. Like Hester, the sunshine is a great example of how Arthur is in the darkness for most of the story. Arthur is a very light character with very dark secrets this is how he is both good and

Arthur is surprised by Roger’s kindness and states this, “Doust thou know me so little… then to give the medicine against all harm” (Hawthorne 68). Arthur knows Chillingworth so little that he is surprised at how kind he has been to him, and is very grateful at the fact. It was probably hard for Chillingworth to do such a thing for Arthur because of the hatred he has for him. Roger had a lot more darkness in him than he did light. Hawthorne describes Roger’s purpose in life leaving him by stating, “Old Roger Chillingworth knelt down beside him with a blank dull countenance, out of which the life seemed to have departed” (232). This example describes how his sole purpose in life seizes to exist, the revenge that he lived for was taken at that exact moment and he had no other reason to live. Roger Chillingworth is the most troubled character in the book; He wanted to be light but revenge slowly ate him alive until he was a dark