Light and Darkness in The Scarlet LetterNathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, believed that the Puritans were people who believed that the world was a place where battle between good and evil was endless. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne uses the symbols of light and darkness to describe this battle between the characters Hester Prynne, Pearl, and Roger Chillingworth. After Hester commits her sin, her beauty almost immediately disappears into darkness. Her hair no longer hangs freely around her face, but she ties it in a bonnet. Hester is not seen as a bad person, but her sin causes her “light” to be hidden. The sun is used as a descriptor of goodness or pure nature of character. Because of her sin and the scarlet letter, Hester is no longer pure, so she is not seen in the sunlight. Hawthorne states: "Only the dark house could hold her. When the sun came out, she was not there." During a walk in the forest, Hester's daughter Pearl says: "...the sun does not love you. He runs away and hides, because he is afraid of something on your breast. This is evidence that the scarlet letter itself may be the cause of Hester's darkness. Pearl is the character most recognized for her presence in the sun. She is attracted to the sun, as the sun is attracted to her. While in the governor's house, Pearl notices how bright the sun shines through the windows. She asks that "the sun be removed from her facade and given to her so that she can play with it." Hester responds by saying, "No, my little Pearl. You must gather your own sunshine. I have none to give you!" Pearl has been seen as a character who always persists in knowing the truth. In the forest, Pearl wants to hear a story from Hester. She asks Hester if she has ever seen the black man. Hester replies that she has already seen the Black Man once. This suggests that the black man could be her husband, Roger Chillingworth. Roger Chillingworth is a character who almost resembles Satan. Chillingworth is described as the dark man by Pearl and his own description of himself suggests that he is some sort of demon. When Chillingworth finds out that Dimmesdale was Pearl's father, he mocks him and makes him feel more guilty than he already has..