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What Does The Forest Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter

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In The Scarlet Letter, the forest is a prominent symbol used throughout the book to represent freedom from society. The forest is where Dimmesdale and Hester chose to meet because it is secluded from the rest of the Puritan civilization. During their meeting, they discuss that they want to run away to Europe together to escape their current living situations. This is an example of how the forest is being used to represent freedom from society. It is where Hester and Dimmesdale feel they are free to speak about whatever they want, even plans of running away together, because they cannot be seen by their fellow townsmen. In Chapter 20, when Dimmesdale returns from the forest, one of his friends greets him and he responds by saying, “I am not the man for whom you take me! I left him yonder in the forest, withdrawn into a secret dell, by a mossy tree trunk, near a melancholy brook!” (261; ch. 20). Dimmesdale responds this way because when he is in the forest, he is able to act a different way than when he is back in the town. …show more content…

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. No one from the town is around to judge them for their sins, and they are able to love each other without being in fear for their

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