In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts the forest as a symbol of Hester Prynne's life by using symbolism and imagery to accurately portray the identity she assumes, as well as the life she lives and how that changes course throughout the duration of the book Hawthorne effectively utilizes the forest to display a mental combat that has occurred to Hester as a result of the scarlet letter being issued to her. As Hester Prynne sit’s in the presence of Arthur Dimmesdale, their time to make a decision on their future is coming to a close. As she reflects on her past life, Hawthorne uses the current setting as a symbol of her prior experiences since the Scarlet Letter was established in her life to give another viewpoint of the path
