In the Scarlet letter, there was often the idea of light (often associated with Pearl) and dark (often associated with Hester) that happened during the story. Give examples of this.
In Chapter 16, the image of sunlight comes to the forefront, as Hester tries to catch a beam of sunlight for Pearl. Earlier in the novel, Hester stated that she could never offer Pearl sunlight—she had no more for her child. But now she has come full circle, enough to want to give her child light, and even enough to want to show off her child in an approving light. Yet, she cannot catch the light; the child is still without a true father. Pearl is still not at peace. At the same time, we see that Hester, by confessing and taking responsibility for her sin, has been able to heal.
Source(s): http://www.gradesaver.com/the-scarlet-letter/study-guide/section5/
