Light And Darkness In The Scarlet Letter Essay

Every single person, myself included, has light and dark parts of him or her. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne explores light and darkness through a very strict, religious Boston community after a scandal occurs in the 17th century. The people in the Puritan society, while harsh with the scandal, are quick to put themselves above the known sinner, but also keep their sins hidden. Light and dark imagery, alluding to the larger conflict between good and evil, is present throughout the novel in the characters of Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth, and Hester Prynne. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale was a preacher who suffered a deeply rooted man-versus-self internal conflict. He was a man whose biggest struggle was with his

She struggles with keeping her secrets and daughter and faces ignorance from most of the community. Light shows itself in Hester when “None so ready as she to give of her little substance to every demand of poverty; even though the bitter hearted pauper threw back a gibe in requital of the food brought regularly to his door, or the garments wrought for him by the fingers that could have embroided a monarch’s robe” (Hawthorne 146). The light here is no matter if she was doomed by her sin to go to hell or was treated horribly by all, she didn’t let it stop her from being kind to those who needed help more than she. Her persecution by the town also did lead her to make some dark discoveries, however. A question that planted itself into her head was, “Was existence worth accepting, even to the happiest among them?” (Hawthorne 150). Her being alienated by her community made her see how horrible women’s treatment in the community was. Her sin made her question her religion and the community; if anyone important found out about this, they may have killed Hester or forced her from the area. Since gossip controls the town, Hester would not have a big chance to prove herself innocent, even if she was. As darkness tried to consume her, she refused to give in and fought for her character to remain