Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses darkness as a motif to represent the unhealthiness of secret and shame. Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne revisits darkness as a motif in order to convey the unhealthy impact that secrets and shame can have on people. Wherever secrecy appears appears in the text, darkness can be found manifested as a symbol to highlight the negative repercussions that deceit can have. All of the main characters of the novel have a special relationship with darkness. Hester’s interesting affair with darkness plays itself out throughout the book as at some points in the text the sun, “runs away and hides itself,” and at other intervals her actions seem to provoke the sun to, “flood into …show more content…
the obscure forest, gladdening each green leaf.” (Hawthorne 165, 183) Pearl, on the other hand, shares a different relationship with the sun and seems to be, “brightened by its splendor, “ as she lives her life without secrecy or shame. (166) Chillingworth bears the same shameful aversion to sunlight that Hester undergoes at certain points in the novel as he occupies a, “circle of ominous shadow,” wherever he goes. These interesting relationships share a fascinating common meaning in that they all reflect how these characters interact with secrecy and shame. However, not only do their relationships mirror how these characters relate to secrecy and shame, but as these characters connection to these subjects evolve, so too does their connection with darkness. Hawthorne’s focus on and revisiting of darkness throughout the novel is not unjust or without reason.
The exploration of darkness as a motif reveals a lot about Hawthorne’s thoughts on secrecy and shame. Given the close bond that Hester and Pearl share, Hawthorne is able to convey some very interesting ideas regarding secrecy and shame through the contrasting relationships that these two characters have with darkness. As discussed previously, at certain points in the novel, it seems as though the light of the sun runs from Hester and she is forced to live her life cloaked in darkness. This occurs all while Pearl seems to bask in the sunlight and lives without the gloom of darkness overcoming her. Examining the context of these characters interactions with darkness, a lot is revealed regarding Hawthorne’s interpretation of secrecy and shame and how it affects people. During Hester and Pearl’s walk through the forest just before Hester reveals the true identity of Chillingworth to Reverend Dimmesdale, Pearl says to Hester, “the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself… Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me.” (165-166) At this point in the novel, Hester is living her live overshadowed by shame and fear of revealing the truth behind her sin to the community; however, Pearl leads a care free guiltless life as an innocent child. These character’s contrasting experiences with darkness and light mirror how secrecy and shame impact their lives. The negative connotation which comes with darkness is used by Hawthorne to show the reader that the shame and secrecy which Hester takes on in her life is negatively impacting her, while Pearl is shown to bask in the beauty of the sunlight, “laughing in the midst of it.” (166) This connection between darkness and secrecy and shame is extended further later in the novel when Hester is seen to cast away the darkness and return to “the whole richness of her beauty,”
once she confesses her love for Dimmesdale and agrees to flee to Europe with him. (183) Just as Hester sees that she will be able to cast away her shame and secrets in a foreign country, so too is she able to cast away the darkness which has followed her for so long. This parallel evolution of Hester’s relationship with darkness and secrecy further work to drive home the connection between the two. Hawthorne uses darkness as a motif in a similar fashion to outline how secrecy and deceit negatively impact Chillingworth. Throughout the novel, Chillingworth's desire for revenge and unwillingness to confront Dimmesdale about the truth behind Dimmesdale’s relationship with Hester eats away at him, slowly destroying him from the inside out. This is reflected in Chillingworth’s relationship with darkness throughout the novel. As Chillingworth is well into his plan to mentally torture Dimmesdale for his transgressions against him, Chillingworth is observed as existing in “a circle of ominous shadow,” in spite of the sun, “which shone so brightly everywhere else.” (158) This mirroring of how secrecy and darkness play into characters lives provides a medium for Hawthorne to convey his thoughts on how secrecy and shame can impact people in an adverse way, an idea which is further compounded by Hawthorne’s physical description of Chillingworth. Describing Chillingworth as, “a deformed old figure, with a face that haunted men’s memories,” Hawthorne makes it quite obvious that Chillingworth’s shrouding in darkness does not convey a positive outlook for the deformed old man. (158) Hawthorne’s use of darkness as a motif throughout the novel eloquently conveys how secrecy and shame negatively impact the characters through his mirroring of the these subjects as darkness in the lives of his characters. Hawthorne’s use of darkness as a motif plays a key role in conveying his thoughts on secrecy and shame and act as a keystone for upholding this theme which plays a critical role in the novel as a whole. This novel revolves around the complex idea of secrecy and shame, specifically how they affect people. Using darkness as a motif to convey these ideas allows for the reader to immediately understand the mental status and emotions that a certain character might be experiencing, while remaining subtle enough to contribute to eloquent descriptions of the scenery in the novel and not break up the text with a clunky run down of a characters feelings. Hawthorne’s communication of how secrecy and shame affect people through such an evident manner as darkness and light is genius and is a large part of why this novel is as successful as it is at exploring these complex topics.
Beginning with the very first words of The Scarlet Letter the reader is thrust into a bleak and unforgiving setting. “A thong of bearded men, in sad-colored garments,” that are said to be “intermixed with women,” come off as overpowering and all-encompassing; Hawthorne quickly and clearly establishes who will be holding the power in this story: the males (Hawthorne 45). And he goes even further with his use of imagery, painting an even more vivid picture in the reader’s mind. One imagines a sea of drab grays and browns, further reinforcing the unwelcoming feeling this atmosphere seems to inheren...
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).
The central theme in The Scarlet Letter is that manifested sin will ostracize one from society and un-confessed sin will lead to the destruction of the inner spirit. Hawthorne uses the symbol of the scarlet letter to bring out this idea. In the novel, Hester is forced to wear the scarlet letter A (the symbol of her sin) because she committed adultery with the clergyman, Dimmesdale. Because the public's knowledge of her sin, Hester is excluded physically, mentally, and socially from the normal society of the Puritan settlement. She lives on the outskirts of town in a small cottage where she makes her living as a seamstress. Though she is known to be a great sewer amongst the people, Hester is still not able to sew certain items, such as a new bride's veil. Hester also has no interaction with others; instead she is taunted, if not completely ignored, by all that pass her by. Despite the ill treatment of the society, Hester's soul is not corrupted. Instead, she flourishes and improves herself in spite of the burden of wearing the scarlet letter and she repeatedly defies the conventional Puritan thoughts and values by showing what appears to us as strength of character. Her good works, such as helping the less fortunate, strengthen her inner spirit, and eventually partially welcome her back to the society that once shunned her.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s well known novel, The Scarlet Letter, extensive diction and intense imagery are used to portray the overall tone of the characters. In particular, Hester Prynne, the wearer of the Scarlet Letter, receives plentiful positive characterization throughout the novel. Hester’s character most notably develops through the town’s peoples ever-changing views on the scarlet letter, the copious mentions of her bravery, and her ability to take care of herself, Pearl, and others, even when she reaches the point where most would give up and wallow in their suffering.
During this puritan time in the 1600s. Nathaniel Hawthorne who is an anti-transcendentalist speaks about sin. But not just any sin, secret sin in this novel “The Scarlet Letter.” Hawthorne expresses many themes and symbols in many strange and mysterious ways. Hawthorne is a very dark and devious man. The scarlet letter A that is embroidered on Hester’s bosom symbolizes adultery. Adultery is the sin that she has committed. Hester had a whole husband and made a baby with a man that wasn’t the husband. In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the symbolism of Hester’s Cabin, Leeches, and Dimmesdale to contribute to the overall theme of Good Vs. Evil.
Despite the public shame she has experienced and many years of wearing the intimation of her adulterous sin, Hester Prynne remains proud and displays her letter boldly. Anyone that did not possess quite her level of emotional stamina and pride would have surely decreased in character and may possibly even lose all hope in life, but Hester proves to be very different. Instead of reacting to the humiliation and remarks of the commons in a hostile manner, Hester instead ignores these things and focuses her mind more toward memories of years past, as she did while standing on the scaffold for the first time. Hawthorne thus uses her young, spriteful daughter, Pearl, to represent the emotions that Hester either cannot, or chooses not to, display openly to others. In chapter 6, Pearl is described as showing “a love of mischief and a disrespect for authority,” which frequently reminded Hester of her own sin of passion. Similarly, in Pearl’s games of make-believe, she never creates friends. She creates only enemies – Puritans whom she pretends to destroy. It is a rare occurrence that a child so young in age should think such thoughts of morbidity, thus strengthening the evidence of Hawthorne’s use of Pearl as a display of Hester’s thoughts – thoughts of retaliating against the Puritans for ...
Hawthorne consistently places Hester in shade to portray her as sinful and hiding the truth. In the beginning of the novel, Hester spends days in prison with Pearl. When Hester and Pearl are finally released, Hester is described as "a black shadow emerging into the sunshine"(49). Within the sunshine is a sinless group of plebeians awaiting the emergence of Hester. In another important scene, Pearl and Hester visit Governor Bellingham's mansion. Bellingham greets Hester with four men at his side. One of the men is Hester's "partner in crime," Arthur Dimmesdale. As soon as he enters the room, a shadow from the window curtain is cast upon Hester. Both Hester and Dimmesdale are trying to conceal Dimmesdale's sin just as the shadow is concealing Hester. Even in Hester's own secluded cabin, she is not welcome into light. In chapter 13, Hester can only be contained in her "darkened house"(148). When sunshine is present, she is not and her shadow fades "across the threshold"(148). Hawthorne continues to impound the idea of Hester's concealment in a scene taken place in the forest. As Hester and Pearl walk through the forest to meet Dimmesdale, sunshine is erased with each step Hester takes. Even Pearl notices this and says, ."..The sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself..."(168). Hawthorne cannot get any more apparent with his symbolism of dark involving Hester.
As Hester wears the scarlet letter, the reader can feel how much of an outcast Hester becomes. When walking through town, “…she never raised her head to receive their greeting. If they were resolute to accost her, she laid her finger on the scarlet letter and passed on” (Hawthorne, 127).She believes that she is not worthy of the towns acknowledgments and chooses to ignore them. The guilt that now rests in Hester is overwhelming to her and is a reason of her change in personality.
In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes imagery to convey that Dimmesdale can represent Puritan Society rather than the round character that can be seen on the surface level. This is seen through the imagery and symbolism of hypocrisy, Dimmesdale as a Christ figure, and the scarlet letter.
Hester tries to stretch her hand into the circle of light, but the sunshine vanishes (192). She then suggests that they go into the forest and rest (193). This short scene actually represents Hester's daily struggle in life. The light represents what Hester wants to be, which is pure. The movement of the light represents Hester's constant denial of acceptance. Hester's lack of surprise and quick suggestion to go into the forest, where it is dark, shows that she never expected to be admitted and is resigned to her station in life. Another way light and darkness is used in symbolism is by the way Hester and Dimmesdale's plan to escape is doomed. Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the shadows of the forest with a gloomy sky and a threatening storm overhead when they discuss their plans for the future (200). The gloomy weather and shadows exemplify the fact that they can't get away from the repressive force of their sins. It is later proven when Dimmesdale dies on the scaffold instead of leaving with Hester and going to England (269). A final example occurs by the way Hester and Dimmesdale can not acknowledge their love in front of others. When they meet in the woods, they feel that, "No golden light had ever been so precious as the gloom of this dark forest (206). This emotion foretells that they will never last together openly because their sin has separated them too much from normal life. The scarlet letter also takes many different forms in the novel. The first and clearest form that the letter A takes is "Adulteress.
the entire town. It can be clearly seen that what is created in the first
A symbol is an object used to stand for something else. Symbolism has a hidden meaning lying within it; these meanings unite to form a more detailed theme. Symbolism is widely used in The Scarlet Letter to help the reader better understand the deep meanings Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays throughout his novel. He shows that sin, known or unknown to the community, isolates a person from their community and from God. Hawthorne also shows this by symbols in nature around the town, natural symbols in the heavens, and nature in the forest.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, there are many moral and social themes develped throughout the novel. Each theme is very important to the overall effect of the novel. In essence, The Scarlet Letter is a story of sin, punishment and the importance of truth. One theme which plays a big role in The Scarlet Letter is that of sin and its effects. Throughout the novel there were many sins committed by various characters. The effects of these sins are different in each character and every character was punished in a unique way. Two characters were perfect examples of this theme in the novel. Hester Prynne and The Reverend Dimmesdale best demonstrated the theme of the effects of sin.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne utilized two main symbols: the Black Man and the Forest. Hester Prynne, Reverend Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth were all influenced by the Black Man. The Black Man was a Puritan term for the devil. The forest is the main setting that was also a symbol in Hester and the Reverend’s life. Nathaniel Hawthorne used the symbolism of the Forest and the Black Man to influence his character’s lives.
The Scarlet Letter is a blend of realism, symbolism, and allegory. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses historical settings for this fictional novel and even gives historical background information for the inspiration of the story of Hester Prynne in the introduction of The Scarlet Letter, ‘The Custom-House’. The psychological exploration of the characters and the author’s use of realistic dialogue only add to the realism of the novel. The most obvious symbol of the novel is the actual scarlet letter ‘A’ that Hester wears on her chest every day, but Hawthorne also uses Hester’s daughter Pearl and their surroundings as symbols as well. Allegory is present as well in The Scarlet Letter and is created through the character types of several characters in the novel.