Often times, we as humans feel the need to distance ourselves from our problems in order to get our minds off of them. During these times, we cherish our time in solitude because we can act the way we want without the constant pressure imposed on us by others. We seek the soft comfort of nature if only to escape the the rigid norms of society, and especially if we are living in the Puritan society described by Nathaniel Hawthorne in his book The Scarlet Letter. The story takes place in 1642 in Boston, Massachusetts, and follows Hester Prynne, a woman shunned to the outskirts of the town by the Puritan townspeople for committing adultery. Throughout the book, Hawthorne draws a distinct line between the merciless practices of the Puritans and
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Perhaps it was because she did not want to leave Dimmesdale. Perhaps it was her pride saying that leaving would be admitting that what she did was a sin and something to be ashamed of. Whatever the reason, she decided to stay, but knew that she could not prosper in the town. She would always be looked down upon, and her nature would not match that of the Puritan women. Hawthorne agrees saying that “the passes of the dark, inscrutable forest [was] open to her, where the wildness of her nature might assimilate itself with a people whose customs and life were alien from the law that had condemned her” (124). He says that her personality and traits would allow her to better enjoy a life in the forest with Natives rather than being forced to follow the Puritan norms. Hester settled down in an abandoned cabin on the outskirts of town. She lived separate from society, perhaps emulating Henry David Thoreau’s time in Walden Woods. Hawthorne was a romantic and was influenced by transcendentalism. These movements disapproved of organized religion because religion was seen as something that corrupts one’s purity. Instead, they embraced nature as nature was full of emotion and honesty. This is what is depicted in The Scarlet Letter. Hester is content with living in nature. She is independent and does not need to conform to the oppressive Puritan
Perhaps it was because she did not want to leave Dimmesdale. Perhaps it was her pride saying that leaving would be admitting that what she did was a sin and something to be ashamed of. Whatever the reason, she decided to stay, but knew that she could not prosper in the town. She would always be looked down upon, and her nature would not match that of the Puritan women. Hawthorne agrees saying that “the passes of the dark, inscrutable forest [was] open to her, where the wildness of her nature might assimilate itself with a people whose customs and life were alien from the law that had condemned her” (124). He says that her personality and traits would allow her to better enjoy a life in the forest with Natives rather than being forced to follow the Puritan norms. Hester settled down in an abandoned cabin on the outskirts of town. She lived separate from society, perhaps emulating Henry David Thoreau’s time in Walden Woods. Hawthorne was a romantic and was influenced by transcendentalism. These movements disapproved of organized religion because religion was seen as something that corrupts one’s purity. Instead, they embraced nature as nature was full of emotion and honesty. This is what is depicted in The Scarlet Letter. Hester is content with living in nature. She is independent and does not need to conform to the oppressive Puritan