What Is The Light In The Scarlet Letter

The book The Scarlet Letter was a difficult read. It was not my favorite book in the beginning, but toward the middle of the book, it got interesting. I have learned many things from this book such as we have a light and dark, a good and evil in all of us. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne uses the symbols of light and dark to depict the good and evil among the characters, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. The light and the dark of Hester Prynne are revealed through the sunshine. Toward the end of the book Hawthorne stated “All at once, as with a sudden smile of heaven, forth burst the sunshine, pouring a very flood into the obscure forest, gladdening each green leaf, transmuting the yellow fallen ones to gold, and gleaming adown the gray trunks of the solemn trees”

Roger said, “I drew thee into my heart, into its innermost chamber, and sought to warm thee by the warmth which thy presence made there!” (Hawthorne 69). At one point in his life Roger was able to love and care for someone and there was not hatred in his heart. Roger loved Hester more than anything but he realized that he couldn’t hold on to a beautiful woman like her so pretty much is he had it coming. Hester said, “Art thou like the black man that haunts the forest round about us?” (Hawthorne 71). Hester is pretty much saying you are evil and should not be trusted. Hester feels like he is the devil himself. Roger Chillingworth is both a light and dark character he was a light character before he let the wanting revenge change him. Hawthorne uses the symbols of light and dark to depict the good and evil among the characters Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth throughout the novel. I thought the book was interesting it showed that we all have a light and dark in all of us. It had a lot of symbol and it was both difficult and interesting to find