Many Puritans strongly believed in the impending war between good and evil. These conflicts were usually signified by the use of light and dark, sun and shadow. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, there are many indications of the battle between good and evil. Hawthorne uses such illustrations of light and dark imagery throughout his novel to depict the scenes in which innocence and sin are in existence.
             Hawthorne uses two major settings to explain the controversy between good and evil, innocence and sin. The scaffold is a significant setting because it is a prevalent place used for public humiliation and shame. It is often associated with sin and guilt.
             The second location Hawthorne uses paints a picture of the dark and evil secrecy that originated amongst the characters. The forest is a place of sin and evil. It is a place where secrets can be told. The battle between good and evil is primarily depicted in these settings.
             The Black Man of the forest is representative of an evil force throughout the novel. He is an image of evil and sin. He is the image of Satan. Hawthorne implies that Roger Chillingworth is the "Black Man" of the forest. Chillingworth undergoes a physical transformation during the course of the book. This suggests that he is the Black Man. He has become a darker and uglier version of his former self. His appearance became darker, representing his hostility. He began to take on the characteristics of the Black Man.
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