The Symbolism Of The Forest In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

When looking toward the past people too often seem to address major and general occurrences. However authors such as Nathaniel Hawthorne show history through a different, more palatable, perspective. By illustrating the life of a specific individual in the past Hawthorne has better related his characters and their times to the reader. One of the best ways of accomplishing that in the novel is through the use of symbolism. The forest, for instance, is vital to the book “The Scarlet Letter.” In order to comprehend the symbolic importance of the forest it is essential to understand the social stigma associated with it during the time period of the book’s setting. During the 1600’s the Americas were frontiers of the European world. Upon arrival in the New World the Europeans discovered strange natives and marvelous beasts. The land was vast and fertile. The mindset brought by the Christian missionaries and refugees from Europe defined the continent. The Europeans viewed the natives as utter savages and the wilderness as land without God. It was this that led to colonists to fear the forest. It was then the colonists aim to assimilate this new land into the customs and norms of
their own culture. Hence, the settlers fought to push back the frontier and assimilate the unusual land in order to diminish their fears. Yet, there is an even more pertinent and reason for fear which correlates with the novel and is based in this frontier mindset.
The fundamental reason for the fear of the colonists is derived from the idea that there is a land that can exist outside the confines of law and civil order. In the book Hester and the Reverend Dimmesdale commit their sin in the forest. The witches also host their gatherings in the forest. The forest is not only a frontier of frightening peoples and creatures, it is also a land beyond the control of society. It may then be seen why the Puritans especially avoided the forest. The Puritan society was based upon strict enforcement of law and the reverence of societal order. The freedom of the forest contrasts directly with civilized nature of the community in
Boston. The freedom of the forest is in itself significant. The liberty of the forest exists simply because of its externality of the civilization in Boston. While this much is simple there are greater implications to be observed. The freedom of the forest resembles the freedom of Hester herself. Both are arguably perfect by nature’s creation yet society brands both as dark and even sinful. The forest as a symbol of freedom exposes an idea that the order imposed by civilization can be arbitrary. When using the forest as a symbol in his book Hawthorne has disproved the infallibility of the state and the superiority of the individual. These assumptions deducted from the symbolic nature of the forest help reflect the point of view of the writer and perhaps his audience. The forest as a symbol in the book is crucial for the story’s plot. The forest, while simplistic, serves as a symbol of the setting, the conflict, and the theme of the novel. While there are many other symbols throughout the book none other can compare with the forest. Thus, when attempting to understand the past literary techniques such as symbolism help the reader associate on a personal level with the content.