The Forest In The Scarlet Letter Essay

The forest in The Scarlet Letter, by Nathanial Hawthorn is a recurring metaphor in the novel. Gossip and shame encircled the forest, causing a skewed view of this isolated location within the Puritan community. However, Hawthorne dubs the forest as a place of freedom, joy, and truth to those with secrets. Boston’s Puritan society of the mid 1600’s feared the near-by forest. Believing that “the black man that haunts the forest” (Hawthorn 71). The forest symbolized many things about nature’s relationship with the characters in the novel. The narrator achieves this by surrounding the events of characters before, during, and after the forest scenes. Additionally, Hawthorne uses many other symbols for metaphors; such as, roses, color, and a prison door to …show more content…
He connected the forest and nature to kindness, love, and peace. The words, "The path strangled onward into the mystery of the primeval forest," (Hawthorn 179) shows what the forest represents, which is mysterious and overpowering. Each character symbolizes a different part of the forest, but the forest brings out a different side in each character. For some, the forest is a place for sinful things and for others it is a place of freedom and light. The forest itself contains another of the stories many metaphors, which is an open door to a dark world-an escape from the current situation. It has many doors and is a place where the letter on their bodies has no influence. In a nutshell, there are many different themes and meanings in The Scarlet Letter, but to me sin in the novel is the major theme. Sin is a fact of life and it is a huge part of the novel. The rigid Puritan society the story spotlights does not allow self-expression. So, therefore, the characters feverishly crave and seek out their personal wants and desires. Hawthorne provides a sanctuary in the form of the concealed forest, which stands for many things in the novel, but