Eva Meza
Ms. Orr
English III: 5
Due Date: November 25, 2014
Day Versus Night In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, day versus night is a reoccurring motif. Throughout the novel, people conceal their true identities and desires in the dark. One can clearly see the juxtaposition between the day and the night, the motif is portrayed in many different ways; including in the lives of Dimmesdale and Hester, and Nathaniel Hawthorne teaches people to be true to who they are. The juxtaposition of night and day serves to display a contrasting effect in the novel. When Dimmesdale climbs onto the scaffold during the night he says to Hester and Pearl, “We shall stand all three on the scaffold together” (142). Dimmesdale goes onto the scaffold as a form of freedom, acceptance, and to acknowledge his sins. Although he reveals his sin, the setting is during the night. The night versus the day is an important part of the novel because it shows the contrasting effect in Dimmesdale’s
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His guilt and shame destroy him, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Hawthorne describes Dimmesdale as a prominent and brilliant reverend when giving sermons because he understands living with sin. Dimmesdale’s successes with his sermons are inspired by his own sins and he can connect with the people more. A young women carrying her child speaks to Hester saying, “Ah but let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will always be in her heart” (206). The women holding the child shows compassion towards Hester, stating that she wants her child to be strong like her. Hester was once a symbol of sin, but now is a symbol of love because she became a person who dedicated her life to helping others. The mother of the child thinks Hester is a person of great strength and