The Mysterious Forest in Nathaniel Hawthornes The...

The Mysterious Forest in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter In Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter, life is centered around a rigid Puritan society. In this society, people are not allowed to express their true thoughts and feelings. Every human being needs the opportunity to express how they truly feel; otherwise the emotions become bottled up until they begin to hurt the person. Unfortunately, the puritans were not allowed this type of expression. Luckily, at least for the four main characters, Hawthorne has created a forest to give them shelter. The forest offers a sanctuary from the harshness of Puritan life, symbolizes the character of Pearl and represents evil. The forest offers a sanctuary from the harshness†¦show more content†¦She openly talks with Dimmesdale about subjects that would never be mentioned in any other place but the forest. As they sit on a moss bed, Hester tells Dimmesdale What we did#8230;; Hester reminds him, Had a consecration of its own. We felt it so, we said that to each other;(Hawthorne 186)! S hocked, Dimmesdale quickly hushes her, for this is the first time they have mentioned this issue. He eventually realizes that he is in a safe environment. Here in the forest they can throw away all of the laws and be themselves. The forest provides an umbrella of security for the main characters. Throughout The Scarlet Letter, the forest symbolizes Pearl. Pearl and the forest go hand in hand. One of Pearls favorite activities is playing with the flowers and trees. The puritans believe that anything associated with the forest is evil, so Pearl must have has a little spark in her. Hawthorne says, And she was gentler here than in the grassy-margined streets of the settlement, or in her mothers cottage. The flowers appeared to know it; (194). Pearl obviously fit in with natural things. Like the forest, Pearl is mysterious and wild. The forest, being the mysterious place that it is, represents Pearl in the novel because she is not fully understood. It is difficult to tell why she does ce rtain things, and what she is thinking when she does them. When strangers in the town spoke to Pearl, she would not answer them. Instead She gazed intently, but never sought to makeShow MoreRelatedNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1230 Words   |  5 Pages Nathaniel Hawthorne is an American novelist, who writes and focuses on sin, punishment, and atonement. However, he mainly focuses on the Puritan legacy. Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. From 1825-1837, Hawthorne perfected his writing and spent this time to help generate ideas for his novels and poems. 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