The Scaret Letter

In the woods, Hester is invigorated, brought to a new sense of life, so much so that she lets her hair down and throws away the scarlet letter. Notice the title of the chapter, and its repetition of the sunshine motif. The sun, of course, is an obvious symbol for redemption and life, but it was blocked earlier by a desire to hide the truth—namely, Dimmesdale's place as Pearl's father.