Color symbolism in The Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is story about Hestor Prynne, a woman who commits a sin and is filled with many feelings, including pride, surrounding that sin. Many of those around Hestor's sin reflect similar emotions and feelings. Hawthorne employs many symbols throughout The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne uses the colors red, black, and white to represent Hestor's emotions and the emotions of those around her. The most frequently employed color symbol by Hawthorne is red. …

…and the state of their spirit. Red is passion and sin. Darkness represents a poor state with self-denial, as well as representing simply evil. Light symbolizes a state of enlightenment and a refreshed spirit, as well as purity. The color symbols in The Scarlet Letter help to transfer certain themes and ideas to the reader, as they are easily recognized and identified. Hawthorne's symbolism shows the simplest events of one person permeating throughout a society.