Theme Of Motifs In The Scarlet Letter

Motifs and themes work together to help develop a story. The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, illustrates these techniques. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne, a young woman and the mother of Pearl, is punished for her crime of adultery. Roger Chillingworth, her former husband who acts as the town doctor, promises himself to figure out who the other sinner is and to punish them, so Hester does not have to face the punishment alone. Arthur Dimmesdale, the young priest and Hester's partner in crime, struggles both with living with the guilt of not publicly confessing his sin and enduring his declining health, due to Roger Chillingworth's treatments. In the end, Dimmesdale publicly confesses he is Pearl's father, and dies

One example of light happens when Hester walks out of the prison into the sunlight with baby Pearl. “She bore in her arms a child, a baby of some three months old, who winked and turned aside its little face from the too vivid light of day” (80; ch. 2). Another example of light appearing is when Hester takes off her scarlet letter, while in the forest with Dimmesdale. “All at once, as with a sudden smile of Heaven, forth burst the sunshine, pouring a very flood into the obscure forest” (322; ch. 18). Taking off her scarlet letter provides Hester with a temporary relief, just as the sun shining through the forest is temporary. Furthermore, a third example of the motif of light occurs while Dimmesdale, Hester, and Pearl stand on the scaffold at night and see a great meteor. “So powerful was its radiance, that it thoroughly illuminated the dense medium of cloud betwixt the sky and earth.” (240; ch. 12). In addition to the motif of light contributing the development of themes, the motif of dark is present as well. One example of dark occurs when the narrator describes how Chillingworth has changed since coming to the town. “Now, there was something ugly and evil in his face, which they had not previously noticed, and which grew still the more obvious to sight, the oftener they looked upon him. According to the vulgar idea, the fire in his laboratory had been brought from

Through Hawthorne's use of this technique, interpreting and understanding the themes of the novel becomes easier, by providing the reader with numerous different simple details to understand the idea of the theme. Other writers may choose to use different techniques, such as imagery or metaphors, but ultimately, finding the technique that best suits the purpose is the responsibility of the