The Scarlet Letter

A detailed Summary of The Scarlet Letter

In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne . Hawthorne uses the ironic element of setting in order to connect themes, characterization, symbols, as well as the most evident, mans need to hide from the injustices of society. Though his description of Hester's cottage, the forest, and the prison, Hawthorne uses setting to demonstrate people's tendency to seek shelter from society.

A gloomy feeling of disconnection from society is associated with the cottage in which Hester Prynne chooses to make her home. The cottage is located "on the outskirts of town"(p.74). The town represents civilization, a rule-bound space where everything anyone does is on display. The forest, on the other hand, is bound by a different set of rules that are not as strict. Hester's cottage is located on the outskirts of town and on the edge of the forest, in between both states. It is her place of exile, however it is also a place where she can create a new more peaceful life for herself. The land on which Hester's cottage lies, is abandoned by the early settlers of the New World "because the soil about it was too sterile for cultivation"(p.74). The land that Hester lives on is incapable of supporting life, and is unsuitable for previous puritan settlers.

The "primeval forest"(168) serves Hester as a refuge from the judgmental society. At first, the forest is presented as dark and dreaded. The Black Man "haunts this forest"(169) trying to persuade people "to write their names with their own blood"(169) in "a big heavy book, with iron claps"(169) to fasten its pages shut. Additionally, little light is able to penetrate the thick branches of the trees. The lack of light represents the residency and invitation of darkness in the forest. In the forest, society's rules do not apply, and alternate identities can be assumed. This allows for misbehavior, which serves as the breeding grounds for sin and darkness. People and their actions are kept "from the observation of any casual passenger along the forest track"(170). As a result, the lawless forest comes to represent evil and temptation. However, the actions that take place in the forest reveal peace and freedom. The forest shields people and their actions from the eyes of the judgmental society as well as its' condemnation. In the forest Pearl laughs and catches the sunshine. The shelter that the forest provides also allows for Hester and Dimmesdale to openly express their love for one another. Reverend Dimmesdale is bound by society's laws of upright conduct, and it is in the forest that "Arthur Dimmesdale, false to God and man, might be, for one moment, true"(179). In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne has the forest serve as a haven in which

Some common words found in the essay are:
Society Hester, Hester Prynne, Letter Hawthorne, Puritan Society, Hawthorne Hawthorne, Hester Chillingworth, Reverend Dimmesdale, Arthur Dimmesdale, scarlet letter, Hester Dimmesdale, Scarlet Letter, hester's cottage, shelter society, society hester, seek shelter society, seek shelter, forest prison hawthorne, cottage forest, prison hawthorne, allows hester, scarlet letter hawthorne, forest prison, tendency seek shelter, cottage forest prison, tendency seek,

Approximate Word count = 973
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels