Scarlet Letter and Rappaccini's Daughter

1017 Words5 Pages
Nathaniel Hawthorne was know for his exceptional writing of books like The Scalet Letter and the short story “Rappaccini's Daughter”. There are many lessions and themes you can get from reading Hawthorne's books. In the book The Scarlet Letter and the short story “Rappaccini's Daughter” Nathaniel Hawthorne uses light and dark imagery to develop the theme that lust can lead to disaster. Hawthorne also uses color to portray the theme of finding peace and serenity even though characters are surrounded by hate and sin. In the book The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne uses light and dark imagery to show that lust can lead to disaster. An example of light and dark imagery occurs when Hester is walking in the forest with Pearl, and Pearl says “Mother, the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now see!There it is, playing, a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me, for I wear no- thing on my bosom yet” (192) . This shows Hester's daily struggle in life because of lust, “Hester tries to stretch her hand into the circle of light, but the sunshine vanishes”(192). The light represents What Hester wants to be, and the light vanishing represents her constant denial of acceptance because of her lustful action. Hawthorne also uses light and dark imagery in “Rappaccini's Daughter” to show lust and disaster with Beatrice, a beautiful young female who Giovanni falls “in love” with on sight (light). Unknown by Giovanni until it is too late, he finds out that Beatrice is poisonous and she passes on her sickness to Giovanni at death (dark). Because of Giovanni's lustful thoughts and actions he is now poisonous and alone even after being warned. Hawthorne also uses color to portray that lust leads to disaster in The Scarlet Letter and “Rappaccini's

More about Scarlet Letter and Rappaccini's Daughter

Open Document