The Scarlet Letter: Light And Dark Imagery Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne refers to light and dark. In the novel they have many different meanings and are displayed in many different ways. Light usually symbolizes good, purity, and joy. The darkness symbolizes evil, secrecy, or guilt. An interaction between the two is also evident. Hawthorne's use of light and dark imagery is used to show the significance of good and evil in The Scarlet Letter. When darkness is mentioned in the novel, it refers to either evil, secrecy, or guilt. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne is able to portray Chillingworth as evil through other character