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Scarlet Letter Forest Symbolism

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In the book The Scarlet Letter there are two main settings, the town and the forest. Both of them are very important for the main characters. The town is where a lot happens including where Hester and Arthur, the two main characters, sinned. It is also where they lived for most of their lives, dealing with the pain the sin has caused them. The town is where both Hester and Arthur die and where they are buried. Therefore, not only is the town an important setting in the book but it is a very important place for Hester and Arthur. The forest is the second main setting and is important because of how there is a belief that the devil, or black man, lives there. It is also where Mistress Hibbins wanted to go when she tried to get Hester to go with …show more content…

These two things cause the characters to act differently when they are in them. In the forest they can be true and not have to worry about others and their opinions, while in the town they are forced to hide behind masks that keeps the truth hidden from everyone. Most of the book actually takes place in the town, so for most of the book the characters are forced to hide the truth. But when they both meet up in the forest the truth is revealed and they get to talk to each other about it. Also after the meeting in the forest Arthur finally reveals the truth to everyone. This shows how the forest changed him and caused him to decide to be truthful rather than keep the secret until his …show more content…

The two most significant changes are after Hester on the scaffolding and after Arthur and Hester return from the forest. For the first change after the scaffolding scene Arthur went from a strong young man to a sick and frail minister. He changed because of the guilt of not revealing his sin to everyone. This goes along with the town because in it there are laws and other people who can cause you to be a different person. This effected Arthur so much because he knew he broke the law, but the people did not. Therefore the people only saw him as the great minister who was sick. They even went on to say that the reason he was sick was because the devil was testing him and that he would certainly win. This caused him to feel even worse because he knew if he told them the truth their opinions of him would change dramatically. Then there is Hester who also changed after the scaffolding scene. She changed by wearing coarse dresses and putting her hair up in a formal cap. By doing that she was punishing herself. This shows that after everyone found out about her sin she started to change negatively. After the forest scene Arthur went from a frail and sick man to a strong man again. The townsfolk described him by saying, ¨It was the observation of those who beheld him now, that never, since Mr. Dimmesdale first set his foot on the New England shore, had he exhibited such energy as was seen

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The forest represents the natural world. The forest renders a safe space for the characters but in reality both danger and desire lies in the woods. The characters associate freedom with being outside of the city. For example, the Athenian workers rehearse their play in the woods in order to escape distractions. The character Quince, who is an Athenian performing in the play, says, “There will we rehearse, for if we meet in the city we shall be dogged with company, and our devices known.”

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Receiving the scarlet letter changed every aspect of Hester’s life. Especially at the start of the story, the letter symbolized the solitude and great suffering Hester faced just because of a letter placed on her bosom. The “A” also depicted how no one viewed Hester the same way as before her peccant actions. “…she saw that, owing to the peculiar effect of this convex mirror, the scarlet letter was represented in exaggerated and gigantic proportions, so as to be greatly the most prominent feature of her appearance” (Hawthorne 109). The pejorative community Hester lived in never saw Hester as the beautiful, young woman she was, but now, as a horrible fiend.

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