The Use of Sunlight as Symbol in The Scarlett Letter

When Nathaniel Hawthorne finished his masterpiece, The Scarlet Letter, he completed one of the deepest, greatest, and most symbolic novels ever written. The Scarlet Letter is filled with more symbols than almost any other great piece of literature. Many critics even speculate that The Scarlet Letter’s only flaw is that it has too much symbolism. However, most readers recognize the symbolic genius of this book to be what has made it one of the greatest pieces of literature of all time. Of the many symbols in the book, sunlight is especially versatile and intriguing in its use. It is perhaps the best example of how Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter has come to be recognized as one of the greatest works of literature of all time.

Hawthorne is the master of creating and stretching symbols as well as at proving that they work. The use of sunlight as a symbol is one true sign of his genius and talent. Hawthorne is able to make even the smal

Some analysts also believe that the sunlight may be used to show favor of God. When God is happy with something happening in the book he shines his heavenly light upon it and fills it with his warmth and happiness. However when God is unpleased with what he sees he ignores it and leaves it alone causing it to go into shadow. The sunlight often avoids those which God has forgotten.

The third reflection of the sunlight is its effect on the community. This book is as much about Puritan society as it is about the scarlet letter. The sunlight may also reflect the how the community views Hester Prynne. Here the author may be showing how the Puritan community, or even humans in general, treats someone who has committed a crime and whom they felt has already paid.

“For myself, during the whole of my Custom-house experience, moonlight and sunshine, and the glow of firelight, were just alike in my regard and neither of them was of one whit more avail then the twinkle of a tallow candle (James, 1966).” Though all these theories about the meaning of sunlight are plausible there is one in particular which Nathaniel Hawthorne himself implied. Hawthorne mentioned this as the main reason for incorporating sunlight into the book. The statement by Hawthorne below was found written in his journals and notebooks. This may be the clearest explanation of why sunlight was used as a symbol in The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne stated, “I found it impossible to relieve the shadows with so much light as I gladly would have thrown in (Lathrop, 1969).”

Sunlight is used to highlight objects in the book. In the passage above sunlight is shining on the scarlet letter and on the lone rose among weeds during Hester’s judgement ceremony. The sunlight is only shining on two things and is therefore setting them apart from everything else. The rose is a representation of Hester, and the golden-embroidered scarlet letter is the proof of that. Some may say that the rose is a representation of not Hester but the scarlet letter. Yet the scarlet letter has such a great impact on Hester’s life that it becomes a part of who she is. The golden embroidery around the scarlet letter is highlighting it just as the golden rays of the sun highlight so many other things in the novel.

Because of this impishness and intelligence that Pearl shares with nature, she is like a cousin to nature or that which represents nature in this novel, the sunlight. Some even think that Pearl is not a real character in the novel because of her impishness. She like the sunlight is bright and morally neutral This naturalness of Pearl enables her to see things and understand things that other people cannot. It is because of this insight which only Pearl has that she is always right in the questions she asks and the statements she makes.

Though Hawthorne was unable to accomplish complete balance with the addition of sunlight, he was able to do many other things with it. He was able to create a symbol which embodied all the brighter aspects of The Scarlet Letter. Though the overall theme of The Scarlet Letter was a morbid one sunlight brought beauty and happiness to an otherwise dreary novel. From this symbol’s compatibility with the novel to its versatility, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s use of sunlight in The Scarlet Letter is a true sign of his genius.

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