As the novel can present interpretative challenges, I today provided an analytical framework to assist comprehension . I discussed the precedence of the subjective emotional experience over the logical within the Romantic genre as means of appreciating the shifting symbolic meanings. I then addressed the recurring use of black/red imagery to contrast restrictive and repressive conformity with emotional freedom and unconventional values, and last identified the town vs untamed forest surrounding town as a setting that conveys these divergent values . We further noted how Chillingworth's quest for revenge is tied to dark "black " imagery and discussed how revenge destroys the perpetrator as much as its victim. During the final segment ,we viewed a detailed documentary film about how Hawthorne's life influenced his writing .