I focused mainly on Hawthorne's use of light and dark in chapters 16-19. My initial reaction after reading the chapters was relief; I was glad Hester and Dimmesdale were finally able to talk about their situation and what they could do regarding it. I gained a sense of hope that their relationship would have a chance, if they moved to Europe. They could start a new life with Pearl and live happiy together without the pressure from the Puritans and Chillinsworth. In chapter 16, Hester finally gains the confidence to confront Dimmesdale about Chillinsworth. She meets him in the forest rather than in the settlement, because she had heard that he would be passing through there on the way back from visiting a Native American settlement. She wants to handle the matter with caution and talk about matters in private with Dimmesdale, because they are able to escape both Chillinsworth and the public eye in the forest. As Pearl and Hester walk through the forest, it seems as though the sunshine moves away from Hester. I interpreted this as her relationship with the Puritan society as well. After committing her sin, Hester was shunned and looked down upon by the community. The Puritans were intent on preserving the strict aspects of their society, which led everyone to view Hester as a shame to society. Therefore, Hester was inclined to remain isolated from the society for some time. Hawthorne depicted the sun as the Puritans, whose harsh judgements pushed Hester away for wearing the Scarlett letter. It's almost as though they feared her. They saw what would happen if they did something sinful against God's will, which caused many to fear what they secretly hid inside. They avoid her and overlook their own faults. However, when Hester takes the A off later on in chapter 18, the sunlight brightens the forest. The letter serves as the only barrier holding her back from acceptance into society. With the A, she is seen as a disgrace. I related this to the song "Wide Eyes" by the Local Natives. I thought that it went well with this situation regarding the Puritans fear of what they see. In reality, everyone has had things they have done that they may not be proud of. We often disregard those faults and look past them, by judging other people.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DvzZC9gDbLo
They way that you interpreted the light is really well done. While I was reading these chapters, that's what I was thinking about, too. The idea of the light representing society is most plausible especially when she takes the A off and the sunlight comes to her once again. However, after reading your post, I feel like another way you could view the light is as purity. When she goes to confront her problems and her sin in the forest (which is seen as the place of the devil often through out this book) the sunshine seems to move away from her. That is because for the first time she's confronting the sin, and her purity is fading, possibly also because meeting in the woods is such a sinful spot to meet. Then, when she takes the A off that has marked her as impure all this time, the light finds her once again. I'm not sure I explained this well, and I still find the idea of the light representing society even better, but I just found it interesting how in a way it could represent both.
ReplyDeleteI like how you talked about the light moving away from her when she is in the forest. I found this part of the book very interesting too and I like how you described it as her purity fading. I like that image. Also when she takes off the A the light comes back on her so its almost as if God is trying to relieve Hester of her sin in this scene.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you stated that Hawthorne used the sun as a representation of Puritan Society. It's an interesting observation, because like the sun, the presence of Puritan Society constantly pressures its inhabitants to follow its "law" and succumb to the rules it wants. People cannot sin, and if they do, they are cast away from society, which in this book can mean the ocean, or as you said, the forest.
ReplyDeleteI like how you focused on the light parting around Hester as she moves through forest. After reading the entire book, I feel as if society slowly starts to accept Hester back into society. This is really felt as Hawthorne stops focusing on Hester's conflict with society.
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