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Theme Of Light And Dark In The Scarlet Letter

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Theme Of Light And Dark In The Scarlet Letter
What would you do if you were forced by society to wear a symbol of your sin on your chest for the rest of your life? The Scarlet Letter was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and is based out of Boston in the 17th century, it is about a young woman who committed adultery and must wear a scarlet A on her chest so that the whole community may be reminded of her sin every time that she is in their presence. 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. The protagonist of the Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne, is a beautiful young woman who has experienced both good and bad since she arrived in Boston. Nathaniel Hawthorne stated “Such helpfulness was found in her, – so much power to do, and power to sympathize, – that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a women’s strength” (148). This quote resembles how Hester is good, and it also shows what the people have become to think of her. Hester embraced her sin and people started to see the good in her again. Pearl says to her mother, “the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides …show more content…
“There is truth in what she says...” Dimmesdale states this as he defends Hester (Hawthorne 104). Arthur defended Hester quite often so I feel as if this is a light quote. Dimmesdale was a very light man who was taken by evil. “...a great letter in the sky, the letter A, which we interpret to stand for Angel.” (Hawthorne 145). The A in the sky arrived right after Hester, Arthur, and Pearl stood on the scaffold together. I believe this is a dark quote because it is the result of evil. Arthur Dimmesdale has been exposed to both good and evil within this
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