r is for the same reason that the minister keeps his hand over his heart. In reality a truth such as this would not be know to a seven-year-old. Hawthorne uses Pearl to show that regardless of how deeply hidden sins are, like Dimmesdales is, the truth will be revealed. Roger Chillingworth is also an allegory, for revenge. His character has no other part in the plot other than to seek cold-blooded retaliation on Dimmesdale. As time went on there was something ugly and evil in his face, which they had not previously noticed, and which grew still more obvious to the sight, the oftener they looked upon him. This description of Chillingworth is like revenge itself, growing more and more hideous as time goes on until it totally consumes a person. Hawthorne also manipulates the atmosphere of his novel to enlighten his readers with a moral lesson. The light/dark imagery he uses represents the Puritans hiding of their sins. In The Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale only stands on the scaffold with Prynne and Pearl at midnight. In the dark, when no one is looking he is willing to show the world his part in Prynnes adultery. As Pearl, the allegory for truth says to Dimmesdale, Thou wast not bold! thou wast not true! Thou wouldst not promise to take my hand, and Mothers hand, tomorrow noontide! Pearl also communicates truths to her mother through the same light/dark imagery. Mother, the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Another follows this example, when Prynne attempts to reach out and touch a bit of sunshine, which is pouring trough an opening in the leaves and as she attempted to do so the sunshine vanished. Examples such as these show Hawthornes use of allegory and light/dark imagery to jockey his characters and setting to elevate good and to illuminate the horrors of evil....
