In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, life is centered around a rigid Puritan society in which one is unable to divulge his or her innermost thoughts and secrets. Every human being needs the opportunity to express how he or she truly feels, otherwise the emotions are bottled up until they become volatile. Unfortunately, Puritan society did not permit this kind of expression, thus characters had to seek alternate means to relieve their personal anguishes and desires. Luckily, at least for the four main characters, Hawthorne provides such a sanctuary in the form of the ysterious forest.
Hawthorne uses the forest to provide a kind of “shelter” for members of society in need of a refuge from daily Puritan life. In the deep, dark portions of the forest, many of the pivotal characters bring forth hidden thoughts and emotions. The forest track leads away from the settlement out into the wilderness where all signs of civilization vanish. This is precisely the escape route from strict mandates of law and religion, to a refuge where men, as well as women, can open up and be themselves. It is here that Dimmesdale openly cknowledges Hester and his undying love for her.
It is also here that Hester can do the same for Dimmesdale. Finally, it is here that the two of them can openly engage in conversation without being preoccupied with the constraints that Puritan society places on them. To independent spirits such as Hester Prynne’s, the wilderness beckons her: Throw off the shackles of law and religion. What good have they done you anyway? Look at you, a young and vibrant woman, grown old before your time. And no wonder, hemmed in, as you are, on every side by prohibitions. Why, you can hardly walk without tripping over one commandment or another.
Come to me, and be masterless. (p. 186) Truly, Hester takes advantage of this, when Arthur Dimmesdale appears. She openly talks with him about subjects which would never be mentioned in the town. “What we did… ” she reminds him, “had a consecration of its own. We felt it so! We said to each other! ” This statement shocks Dimmesdale and he tells Hester to hush. Had they been in the town and overheard, the minister would be put to death. Realizing that, in the open environment of the forest, he can express is true emotions.
Dimmesdale can say and do things he otherwise might not be able to. The thought of Hester and Dimmesdale having an intimate conversation in the confines of the society in which they live is incomprehensible. Yet here, in the forest, they can throw away all reluctance and finally be themselves under the umbrella of security which exists. In Puritan society, self reliance is stressed among many other things. However, self reliance is more than stressed- it is assumed. It is assumed that you need only yourself, and therefore should have no emotional necessity or a “shoulder to cry on”.
Once again, for people in the stations of life which Hester and Dimmesdale hold, it would be unthinkable for them to comfort each other. Yet, in the forest, these cares are tossed away. “Be thou strong for me,” Dimmesdale pleads. “Advise me what to do. ” (p. 187) This is a cry for help from Dimmesdale, finally admitting he cannot go through this ordeal by himself. With this plea comes an interesting sort of role-reversal. When Dimmesdale asks for help, he is no longer sustaining the belief that he is above Hester.
