... , he brought himself down with his own guilt, which for him was a very injurious punishment. His guilt made him a darker person as the novel moved on, and this same guilt later brought about his death in the end. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the dark imagery many times in this novel. The darkness is used to depict many scenes in the novel mainly because there is a lot of ... sin occurring, and sin is represented by the literary theme darkness. Hester is the main person presented in the novel that represents darkness the best. Hester is represented by ... "digging for gold in a dark mine." (...

• Word Count: 1649
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... to confess the truth!" (Hawthorne, 48) Reverend Dimmesdale, looking deep into her eyes tells her, "Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him; for, believe me, Hester, though he were to step down from a high place, and stand there beside thee, on thy pedestal of shame, yet better ... minister finally gets the courage to mount the scaffold and let out his guilt, but it is under the cover of darkness. Unfortunately, Chillingworth watches this second scaffold scene in the darkness and now has final proof that Dimmesdale is the sinner; his rage grows even more. When Hester r...

• Word Count: 1498
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... badly. They decide to run away together on a ship on election day. On election day, Hester discovers that Chillingworth booked a ticket for the same boat that she and Dimmesdale was going to take. Dimmesdale delivers his election day sermon, one of his best sermons ever ... are more numerous than any other images in the novel" (Waggoner 160). The color red stands for passion and the anguish felt by both Hester and Dimmesdale. It also stands for the love between the two of them and for Pearl, their daughter. Darkness and light symbolize the ongoing struggle between ... his American Purita...

• Word Count: 2338
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... (240). Thus, the love the couple shares, symbolized by the letter A, is lighter and more pure than the ominous darkness and corruption of the world surrounding it. The natural purity of their love is addressed earlier as the two share and intimate conversation ... the redeeming effects of sin is Dimmesdale's response to Chillingworth's torture. "But for [his] aid, [Dimmesdale's] life would have burned away in torments;" by prolonging his life, Chillingworth allows the minister to confess before his death (157). In The Scarlet Letter, therefore, sin ironically leads to the purity of youth...

• Word Count: 1485
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... is representation of her sin. The purpose of her punishment is to teach the community a lesson about sin, but in fact society is using her as a scapegoat for their own shadow nature. The punishment is supposed to show the community what is right and what is wrong. Hester ... to the point at which his, "Smile and scowl So vivid was the expression that it seemed to remain painted on the darkness, after the meteor had vanished, with an effect as if the street and all things else were at once annihilated." (136 ... third scaffold scene represents the final resolution to Dimmesdale and Chillin...

• Word Count: 1995
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School