in the woods
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's, The Scarlet Letter, life centers around a rigid Puritan society in which one is unable to indulge his or her innermost thoughts and secrets. Every human being needs the opportunity to express how he or she truly feels, otherwise the emotion builds up until they become volatile. Unfortunately, Puritan society allows no expression of this kind, so the characters have to seek alternate means in order to relieve their personal anguishes and desires. Luckily, at least for the four main characters, Hawthorne provides such a sanctuary in the form of the mysterious forest. Hawthorne uses the forest to provide a kind of 'shelter' for members of society in need of a refuge from daily Puritan life.In the deep, dark portions of the forest, many of the pivotal characters bring forth hidden thoughts and emotions. The forest track leads away from the settlement out into the wilderness where all signs of civilization vanish. This secluded trail is the escape route from strict mandates of law and religion to a refuge where men, as well as women, are able to open up and be themselves. It is here that Dimmesdale openly acknowledges Hester and his love for her. It is also here, in the forest, that Hester do
The sunlight, which previously shuns Hester, now seeks her out, and the forest seems to glow. People believe that he is morally higher than Hester, but here, he admits that she is an equal, or even above him. These positions are possibly one of the reasons that Puritans refuse to accept these emotional displays- because the social status is their basis of society. No intrusion from people means no disturbance in the natural order, and therefore serves its inhabitants and brings them away from their world into an older one. He tells Hester to stop and quiet down, but he eventually realizes that he is in an environment where he can express his emotions. The beautiful, attractive person who shows her hair and displays her beauty. Dimmesdale and Hester are able to say what they need to say to each other. She openly talks with Dimmesdale about unmentionable subjects which seem inappropriate in any place other than the forest: "What we did. The reader recognizes her as the Hester from Chapter One. We felt it so! We said to each other!" (179). He admits that he is unable to go through this by himself. The forest has no concept of holiness or evil, or of political power and moral beliefs. It sees only what matters, which are the feelings of others, their guilt and their sadness.
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