He connected the forest and nature to kindness, love, and peace. The words, "The path strangled onward into the mystery of the primeval forest," (Hawthorn 179) shows what the forest represents, which is mysterious and overpowering. Each character symbolizes a different part of the forest, but the forest brings out a different side in each character. For some, the forest is a place for sinful things and for others it is a place of freedom and light. The forest itself contains another of the stories many metaphors, which is an open door to a dark world-an escape from the current situation. It has many doors and is a place where the letter on their bodies has no influence. In a nutshell, there are many different themes and meanings in The Scarlet Letter, but to me sin in the novel is the major theme. Sin is a fact of life and it is a huge part of the novel. The rigid Puritan society the story spotlights does not allow self-expression. So, therefore, the characters feverishly crave and seek out their personal wants and desires. Hawthorne provides a sanctuary in the form of the concealed forest, which stands for many things in the novel, but
He connected the forest and nature to kindness, love, and peace. The words, "The path strangled onward into the mystery of the primeval forest," (Hawthorn 179) shows what the forest represents, which is mysterious and overpowering. Each character symbolizes a different part of the forest, but the forest brings out a different side in each character. For some, the forest is a place for sinful things and for others it is a place of freedom and light. The forest itself contains another of the stories many metaphors, which is an open door to a dark world-an escape from the current situation. It has many doors and is a place where the letter on their bodies has no influence. In a nutshell, there are many different themes and meanings in The Scarlet Letter, but to me sin in the novel is the major theme. Sin is a fact of life and it is a huge part of the novel. The rigid Puritan society the story spotlights does not allow self-expression. So, therefore, the characters feverishly crave and seek out their personal wants and desires. Hawthorne provides a sanctuary in the form of the concealed forest, which stands for many things in the novel, but