Symbolism In Into The Woods

Society as represented by The Woods
Into the Woods by Tana French is a murder mystery novel that tells the story of two detectives that try to solve a murder that occurred in the local woods. This was the same woods where a murder occurred years before, with the lead detective witnessing but not being able to remember that event. The symbol of the woods is a social commentary, comparing the new world to the old world through the use of specific events in the novel, such as flashbacks and dialogue, and by creating a changing image of the woods throughout the text.
One of the many things that the woods represents is the new world. This is shown in two way – social observation and personal experience. For example, in the new world the woods and the historical site contained within them are being destroyed to build a highway. This represents how in the new world people often don’t have regard for other things, whether that be the woods, historical sites, or other people. In addition,

For example, in the old world people seemed to care more about nature and culture, however the people of the new world showed less regard for the very same nature and culture. This is shown when the government makes the decision to rush the archeological dig in order to more quickly build a highway, “’In a month’s time,’ he said, enunciating clearly for me, ‘the f****** government is going to bulldoze this whole site and build a f******* motorway over it. They graciously agreed to leave a f****** traffic island for the keep, so they can wank off about how much they’ve done to preserve our heritage’” (French, 25). This demonstrates how the new world represents a much more money driven and capitalist oriented society. Instead of worrying about nature, or taking time to dig a prominent archeological site, the government decided to build a highway right over that site, effectively ruining the