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Symbolic Function Of The Forest In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

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A symbolic function of the forest is to reflect Hester’s and Dimmesdale’s mood changes after they made the decision to leave. When Hester first enters the forest, the sunlight retracts after being touched by Hester and the brook is described as being melancholy. Such actions on the part of Nature show how dark Hester’s conscience is : she has been so marked by her shaming and the scarlet letter that she cannot even enjoy the pleasure of simple sunshine. The fact that Pearl is able to enjoy the sunshine also highlights how the shaming, not the sin, causes Hester to be unhappy: Pearl may be a result of sin but due to Pearl’s relative innocence and happiness, she is able to enjoy the sunshine. Dimmesdale himself also seems rather morose; when
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Dimmesdale suffered through each day with the unbending remorse for what he had done. This sin deteriorated Dimmesdale’s mental health, leaving him with minute strength and power. Dimmesdale

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Although Dimmesdale has appeared to have gotten healthier, “if the clergyman were rightly viewed, his strength seemed not of the body. It might be spiritual, and imparted to him by angelic ministrations.” After his discussion with Hester in the forest, he seemed to have been “healed”. The words Hawthorne uses to describe Dimmesdale are to reveal that the conflict inside himself, if still unresolved. Hawthorne says, “There was his body, moving onward, and with an unaccustomed force.

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Dimmesdale’s guilt, which stems from his dread of not living

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By analyzing Hawthorne’s use of the juxtaposition of Pearl’s mannerisms and the symbolism of the weeds, it is evident that he conveys a disapproval of the rigidity of the Puritans, which establishes his blatant romanticism as an author. Preceding the following passage, Hester Prynne, an adulteress, is given a punishment by the inflexible Puritans of public shame in the form of a red A, which is then represented in the product of that sin, her daughter, Pearl. Hawthorne, after using the symbolism of the rigid, solemn trees and Pearl’s disdain for them, goes on to compare the weeds to Pearl; “...the ugliest weeds of the garden were [the Puritan] children, whom Pearl smote down and uprooted unmercifully” (Hawthorne 98). Pearl exemplifies wildness

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The hypocrisy of 1600s Puritan society was often disguised behind a facade of moral righteousness. Puritans claimed to use public shaming as a way to better the morals of society and lead people to repent; however, it was highly hypocritical as the Puritans found pure entertainment in the downfall of others and completely neglected sinners rather than educating them. Puritan society thrived off of gossip and rumors, which goes against many biblical morals. Nathaniel Hawthorne, a 19th century transcendentalist, tells the story of how 1600s colonial Puritan society reacts to a woman who commits the sin of adultery in the 1850 The Scarlet Letter. In an excerpt from Chapter 13, the transcendentalist ideals of Nathaniel Hawthorne are reflected through

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The reader is especially made aware of Dimmesdale's mental state in the eleventh chapter, “His inward trouble drove him to practices more in accordance with the old, corrupted faith of Rome, than with the better light of the church in which he had been born and bred” [150]. This suggests that he is racked with immense guilt and shame at the falsehood he is living and suggests that he is physically abusing himself as a result of this guilt. This directly contradicts Chillingworth's mental state of fury and vengeance that he falls deeper into as the story progresses. These two characters also hold striking incongruities as to what drives them onward as the account

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“Why, then, had he come hither? Was it but the mockery of penitence? A mockery, indeed, but in which his soul trifled with itself. He had been driven higher by the impulse of that Remorse which dogged him everywhere” (Hawthorne 138) here dimmesdale can 't face the justice of what he has done wrong which is why the author called him a coward and is the reason why he kept his secrets because he is a coward to admit it to and face the consequences which is why later the guilt of keeping them eats him from the inside.

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The narrator says, “She thought of the dim forest, with its dell of solitude, and love, and anguish, and the mossy tree trunk, where, sitting hand in hand, they mingled their sad and passionate talk with the melancholy murmur of the brook” (287; ch. 22). Hester feels that when she is in the forest with Dimmesdale, he acts like a completely different person. This is because they are away from society and able to show their affection for one another. If they were to be affectionate in the town, Dimmesdale’s sin would be revealed and they would both face major punishment. The forest once again acts as a symbol of freedom from society because it is where Hester and Dimmesdale can be their true selves.

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The short story “The Thing in the Forest'' by A.S Byatt is a story full of mysteries and mysterious events two young girls go through together. The author Byatt makes use of imagery and symbolism to convey strong underlying meanings and help develop the plot. The main purpose of the story is to use imagery and symbolism through beings and places the two main characters Penny and Primrose encounter and the life events they experienced respectivly. Over all the symbolism gives a perspective on how war might be seen by a child and everything associated with it. The first instance in which we see imagery and symbolism used to convey wartime is the “thing” in the first.

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The above symbols vary from person to person and from time to time in Hester’s settlement. These symbolisms are not unusual attributes for people to associate with a forest today, depending on one’s mindset and personal experiences. The pristine quiet of the woods is largely underappreciated at the present time. Perhaps Hester was onto something when she strolled through the trees to find peace of mind and sift through her thoughts effectively. One can do so today to temporarily avoid the noise, the bustle, and the prying fingers of modern

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He is seen as a saint, a member of the Elect, as one of God's few chosen people. The townspeople put Dimmesdale on a pedestal which makes his suffering even greater. Dimmesdale has to suffer for seven long years in silence because he fears the consequences of his sin. Dimmesdale is driven mad as well as declines greatly in his health. He also carves or brands the letter A on his chest.

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Dimmesdale starts living with Chillingworth so the doctor can keep the feeble minister ‘healthy’; the doctor, reversely, tries to make Dimmesdale feel conflicted about his morals which leads to Dimmesdale obsessively whipping himself “...on his own shoulders” and“... fast[ing]...in order to purify [his] body… rigorously...until his knees trembled beneath him[self]...” (132). He is enveloped in his sin, and cannot escape it unless he tells the truth. In fact, Dimmesdale could not stop thinking about his sin which “...continued to give Mr. Dimmesdale a real existence [which] was the anguish in his inmost soul” (133).

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Dimmesdale is only tormented because of the guilt in his heart. He would not feel this guilt if he would only confess his righteousness to the world. In some way Chillingworth really shows the true character of Dimmesdale that he is not this majestic

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Dimmesdale is full of guilt, because he is a leader of the community and was true to his religion, yet he still committed the substantial sin. Not only did he commit the sin, but he continues to keep it hidden from his community. Dimmesdale is supposed to be true to the work that he does, and guilt is what he should feel for hiding who he truly is. “Whom would they discern there, with the red eastern light upon his brow? Whom,

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He knows that if he reveals what he has done, then his followers will lose their respect for him. He is burdened with his sin; therefore, he inflicts pain upon himself for his wrongdoing. Dimmesdale goes as far as having vigils all night, being tortured by “diabolic shapes,” and emaciating and whipping himself. Dimmesdale punishes himself because he wants to repent for the sin that he has committed.

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