Many people have conflicting ideas regarding the meaning of any given symbol. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the symbolism of the forest varies just as the symbols of the modern world. The forest, at first, represents the essence of evil and mystery, which transitions to a sort of friend for the young girl, Pearl, and finally, to a fortress of solitude for those who are supposedly living in sin or shame. In the beginning of The Scarlet Letter, the forest symbolizes evil and mystery. To the Puritans, who were known to be superstitious, it is the epitome of darkness and the vast unknown, since they do not likely visit the forest frequently. This would, in turn, indicate that they had minimal knowledge of the place. In …show more content…
During this stage, it grows to symbolize a friend, in some aspects, to Pearl. Nathaniel Hawthorne states, “The great black forest - stern as it showed itself to those who brought the guilt and troubles of the world into its bosom - became the playmate of the lonely infant, as well as it knew how” (140). Apparently, Hawthorne, who is the author of the story, concurred that the forest, at this point in the book, symbolizes a friend or playmate to Pearl. Nobody can more accurately estimate what the writer is thinking than he himself can. With this in mind, it appears as though Pearl’s only real friend in childhood was found in something other than an intelligent being (Hawthorne …show more content…
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
One side of this inlet is a beautiful dark grove. On the opposite side the land rises abruptly from the edge of the water , into a tall ridge on which grow a few scattered oaks of great age. Washingtons Irving , describes the setting as a dark, evil, and dim place, This basically shows Supernatrual because it shows how the place is related to evil by describing the place darkly like the place where evil things are occuring. This also shows that this setting takes it to the Dark Romanticism because the settings are obsessed with the idea of evil.. The woods represents a straying from the path of life, and when one strays they becomes prone to the influence of evil.
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
In reality, the woods symbolize danger. However, in literature the wild is a symbol of a safe place and freedom. It allows characters to do what best for themselves and get away from the government that controls every aspect of their lives. When the government takes over, society morphs into the wild and the wilderness becomes a safe haven. In the stories Anthem and The Hunger Games, characters use the woods to escape brutal law enforcement, as a place to find love, and a place for a fresh start.
Just like the crucifix is where Jesus faced his trials and was saved through his faith, the forest is where Goodman Brown faces his and it’s also the stage where the Misfit faces his. By contrast however, Goodman Brown does not conquer his demons and the Misfit rejects God’s love, using a bullet rather than words. In a lot of literature, legends, and fairy tales, nature, more specifically, forests, represent places where one will undergo trials or tests; where unconsciousness and mysteriousness stand. "The forest harbors all kinds of dangers and demons, enemies and diseases” (Biederman) In Hawthorne’s story, the forest symbolizes thought and self-regulation. Within the forest, the Puritan civilization ends as the darker forces of the shadow express themselves.
One symbol is the forest. It was considered the devil’s territory and symbolizes the evil within humans. When the girls were caught in the forest they presented a new evil and fear to the community. Another symbol is the doll, it can be a symbol of innocence and purity, but it can also be a symbol of witchcraft. It symbolizes witchcraft because of the transformation from good to evil.
The theme that the author is portraying, is that sometimes in life it's hard to do things that seem impossible, but we as humans can do anything if we put our minds to it. The figurative language that was present within the book was incredible. As a result, my options were limited. The first figurative language that symbolizes the importance of a forest was described, “This forest eats itself and lives forever” (5). This particular quote gave non living things, humans characteristics.
The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies” (Hawthorne, 352). He goes on to express her sorrow through illustrating her tears and grief. This loss clarified for young Pearl that though she might have appreciated her father before, she loved him more than
The third symbol are the trees and how they represent the life of bad people. In the forest there are threes with rotten cores in them.(293). In people the bad can 't always be seen on the outside. Like in the old saying you can 't judge a book by it 's cover, well you can by its interior. WIth the interior being the tree 's core the metaphor carries over.
Throughout the passage from The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses Hester’s baby, Pearl, to illuminate the theme of beauty in a dark place. Once released from prison, Hester, an adulterer, becomes a public spectacle. Through this hard time, Hester has her daughter Pearl to soothe her and to bring her strength and hope for a better future. By using vivid imagery and juxtaposition, Hawthorne depicts Pearl as Hester’s happiness, light, and beauty during a sad and lonely time. While in Prison, Hester is all alone and depressed.
The place of isolation can become the place of revelation. The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne tells the story of Hester Prynne's life after having a child, Pearl, while her husband, Roger Chillingworth, was away and having to live with an A on her chest for adultery. The father of the child, Arthur Dimmesdale, had to live with the guilt and beat himself because of it and the truth remained a secret to almost everyone, except Chillingworth, who planned to get revenge on him because of his sin. Chillingworth became evil and changed because he wanted revenge on Dimmesdale and the guilt made Dimmesdale feel sick. Dimmesdale died after he told everyone the truth and Pearl gained a sense of compassion when she saw him dying.
Amanda Vicente The Scarlet Letter Reading Response AP English Language Period J 16 August 2016 Journal Entry 1: Chapters 1-2 In The Scarlet Letter, the author sets a mood from the beginning of the book. The setting is old and beat up in front of an aged wooden prison with judgmental Puritans ready to tear a women apart. The Puritans are hypocrites and the author portrays that in the story.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, wrote of how the Puritans were people who fought a battle between good and evil in their everyday lives. Hawthorne depicted this battle throughout the novel by symbolizing light and darkness. The sunshine, light, stood for what was good and right. Darkness symbolized the Devil and wrongdoings. Thus, this theme of light against darkness was seen throughout the entire novel due to various character’s problems with deciding what was good and evil to themselves and to the society.
This role of her being an antagonistic protagonist creates a paradox within the already complex and unusual child. The symbol of Pearl plays an important part in the novel The Scarlet Letter. She is a reminder of her mother 's sin and antagonist toward Hester, as well. She is the root of many other symbols in the book.
The forest represents the natural world. The forest renders a safe space for the characters but in reality both danger and desire lies in the woods. The characters associate freedom with being outside of the city. For example, the Athenian workers rehearse their play in the woods in order to escape distractions. The character Quince, who is an Athenian performing in the play, says, “There will we rehearse, for if we meet in the city we shall be dogged with company, and our devices known.”
The forests symbolize the family heritage and ‘family trees’ but it is ironic that both the men die in the woods and thus the family falls apart. "The blood…earth", is symbolic that the forest forgives, it brings in blood imagery and the nature is omnipotent in form of the stark setting and fate is challenged in the forest. Leonardo has also made evident his guilt, “-Page 85,"Be quiet… breath easily". It is symbolic of the fact that Leonardo is sinful and he feels like he is cheating his family. In the age of modernism the writer has induced into the mind of the reader many such symbols of the time and subtly yet intricately listed out their role in the