The use of color to express emotions in The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is the story of Hestor Prynne, a woman who commits a sin and is filled with many feelings, including pride, surrounding that sin. Many of those surrounding Hestor's sin reflect similar emotions and feelings. Hawthorne uses many symbols throughout The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne uses the colors red, black, and white to represent Hestor's emotions and the emotions of those around her. Hawthorne's most frequently used color symbol is red. Red obviously represents Estore's sin, as evidenced by her scarlet "A" that she is forced to wear. His scarlet letter, like his sin, is something he must always deal with and is something he can never escape. Pearl, the product of Estore's sin, is usually dressed in red clothes, representing sin. Pearl is also called by the names "Ruby", "Coral", or "Red Rose", and "a little bird of scarlet plumage", further extending Pearl as a red representation of Estore's sin. Red is employed by Hawthorne to show passion and sensuality. Sin is also represented by the letter "A" formed in the sky by meteors and by an "A" appearing on Reverend Dimmesdale's chest. The first encounter with red is the description of a wild red rose bush growing outside the prison where Hestor was imprisoned. This represents Hestor's pride and passion growing up in an unsuitable place, similar to how Hestor's passion did not fit into Puritan society. As sunlight filters through a red and yellow window in the governor's house, a red light shines throughout the room. This symbolizes Hestor's passion spreading throughout Puritan society. Hawthorne also uses black and darkness as symbols throughout The Scarlet Letter. Black is used to represent evil and hiding. Hawthorne calls prison the "black flower of civilized society," meaning that it is evil and a place that hides the truth. Hawthorne often refers to darkness becoming light, suggesting darkness as a state of hiddenness in which the person does not accept life's experiences and holds back. Pearl's eyes are called a "little black mirror", meaning they are empty and full of sin as they reflect Estore's scarlet letter. Hawthorne explains that the black weeds growing from a sinner's grave are evil coming forth and dying hope. Puritans describe Satan as the Boogeyman in the forest.