The Freedom of the Forest in The Scarlet Letter Essay

Every human being needs the opportunity to express how he or she truly feels, otherwise, the emotion builds up until they become volatile.nbsp; In Nathaniel Hawthornes, The Scarlet Letter, life centers on a rigid Puritan society which does not allow open self-expression, so the characters have to seek alternate means in order to relieve their personal anguishes and desires. Luckily, Hawthorne provides such a sanctuary in the form of the mysterious forest. The forest is a sanctuary because it allows the freedom to love, the freedom to express emotions, the freedom for sympathy and the freedom to be one’s self. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; In the deep, dark portions of the forest, many of the†¦show more content†¦Why, you can hardly walk without tripping over one commandment or another. Come to me, and be masterless† (Hawthorne 186).nbsp; Truly, Hester takes advantage of this, as soon as Arthur Dimmesdale appears.nbsp; She openly talks with Dimmesdale about unmentionable subjects which seem inappropriate in any place other than the forest: â€Å"What we did...had a consecration of its own. We felt it so! We said to each other† (Hawthorne 194)!nbsp; This exclamation shocks Dimmesdale.nbsp; He tells Hester to stop and quiet down, but he eventually realizes that he is in an environment where he can express his emotions.nbsp; The thought of Hester and Dimmesdale in an intimate conversation in the confines of the society in which they live is incomprehensible.nbsp; Yet here, in the forest, they throw away all reluctance and act as themselves under the umbrella of security which exists there in the forest. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; In Puritan society, people stress self-reliance, among many other things.nbsp; However, the people more than stress self-reliance - they assume it.nbsp; The Puritan people assume that you need only yourself and God, and therefore have no need for emotional necessity, no need to have a â€Å"shoulder to cry on.†nbsp; Once again, for people in the stations of life which Hester and Dimmesdale hold, it is unthinkable for them to comfort each other.nbsp; Yet, in theShow MoreRelatedThe Forest as a Place of Truth and Freedom in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter748 Words   |  3 PagesThe forest in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, represents an array of personas. 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