Fairytale Forest Symbolism Essay

“Time in the forest could perhaps be interpreted as a period of personal development. A rite of passage perhaps?” (Gaunt 2). In the article titled, “The Fairytale Forest - a Source of Symbolism” written by Justine Gaunt, describes the true change that can occur in the forest leaving such an impression on those who experience it, that it in a sense is a coming of age. The forest has many figurative and literal symbols within it such as a new beginning or fear, but also can symbolize earth and the wild. Many authors choose to include a forest in their writing and for each, it is chosen for a specific aspect that the forest can represent. Within many texts, including Fahrenheit 451, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Lord of the Flies, lies a forest, in some cases an enchanted forest while in others a caliginous and perilous one, but in all forest settings, lies change.
In Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, the forest is the safe haven for Montag, the place where he …show more content…
Oberon sends Puck, his jester and lieutenant, to put this potion on an ‘Athenian man’ and ends up putting it on Lysander instead of Demetrius, causing him to fall out of love with Hermia and in love with Helena. Leaving Hermia unloved, and Demetrius and Lysander both in love with Helena. Later on to fix his mistake, Puck puts the love potion once again on Lysander to make him love Hermia. All these love altercations occur in the forest and change the destinies of the characters. The destinies are overall changed because in the end Theseus makes them all marry when him and Hippolyta do, Helena and Demetrius, and Lysander and Hermia. Within A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the forest is becoming of the characters destinies and is full of magic, while in Lord of the Flies it is a dark and full of trouble, a truly scary place for the