scarlet letter :: essays research papers

Since the conception of humanity, man has been fascinated with that presence which illuminates, yet cannot be touched. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses light as a tool of God that illuminates and exposes the darkness of human iniquity not only to one’s elf but to others as well. As the symbolism is quickly unfolded in chapter seven, Governor Bellingham’s home is seen through Hester’s eyes and light is reflected by almost every object in his extravagant dwelling, "though partly muffled by a curtain, it was more powerfully illuminated by one of those embowed hall windows..." . this can be seen symbolically, the brilliant sunlight streaming though the immense window, cutting through the veneer of the Governor's mock purity. Bellingham, the very person that passed judgment on Hester and her sin is seen, illuminated by the sunshine, as a malevolent man wallowing in his own stagnant riches. Here, light shows Governor Bellingham to be corrupt due to his un-puritan-like lifestyle. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne defines light not only as a presence, but as an animate being. Still acting as a tool of God, light seems to run away from Hester when she tries to touch it. Pearl, in her enigmatic perceptiveness, says to Hester, â€Å"The sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom.† Although Pearl makes this comment concerning the scarlet "A", this implies that the sunlight is actually afraid of Hester's sin, and not the scarlet "A". In this case, light is used to remind Hester of her sin and to bring it to the front of her mind as punishment for her adultery. Not only does light show Hester's sin to herself, it shows her sin to others as well. Near the end of the story, Mistress Hibbins speaks with Hester, "I know thee, Hester; for I behold the token. We may all see it in the sunshine; and it glows like a red flame in the dark." By shining on the explicit reminder of Hester's sin, the sunlight screams to others of the scarlet letter's intangible counterpart: her immorality.