Scarlet Letter 3
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 [the forest] that Dimmesdale openly acknowledges Hester and his love for her. It is also here, in the forest, that Hest
Another reason that the forest brings comfort to the Puritan people is the pity it seems to have for them: "Such was the sympathy of Nature - that wild, heathen Nature of the forest, never subjected by human law, nor illumined by higher truth" (Fogle 308). The forest's sees only truth, the sadness of people's lives, and ignores their rank in society and moral standards. The forest pities Dimmesdale and Hester and their troubles, "...it [the forest] sympathizes with the forlorn lovers and gives them hope" (Fogle 308). Dimmesdale and Hester are able to say what they need to say to each other. They talk with no one to watch them, critisize their feelings and persacute their sins. The forest looks on "with eyes unclouded" (Princess Mononoke). The forest has no concept of holiness or evil, or of political power and moral beliefs. It sees only what matters, which is the feelings of others, their guilt and their sadness. The forest's sympathy for everyone makes itself the perfect place of refuge for a person living in a strictly religious town, such as that of the Puritain's. Puritan society is harsh and cripples one's inner self. Hawthorne creates the forest to give the characters a place to escape and express their true thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. It is here that thoughts and ideas flow as endlessly as a "babbling brook" (Hawthorne 188), and emotion is as wild as the forest itself. The strict Puritan restraints never exist in the natural world, simply because it is natural. 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. The forest is an enchanting world in which anyone from anywhere are able to feel free and be themselves. The forest is the very embodiment of freedom. Nobody watches in the woods to report misbehavior, thus it is here that people may do as they wish. To independent spirits, such as Hester Prynne's, the wilderness beckons her: "Throw o
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1345
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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