Forest and Scaffold and in Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter Essay Sample

The Scarlet Letter is a tale of sin and punishment in a Puritan society during the 1640s. Hawthorne told the story of a woman and man that committed an act of passion and had a child out of wedlock. Her sin is displayed on the community scaffold and she is outcast from society, while his sin is secret and he is praised by the people. Hawthorne uses the forest and the scaffold, two contrasting places, to help develop common ideas in The Scarlet Letter.

In the 1600s, Boston was a puritan society; therefore, they followed a strict moral code. The forest was a place where sinners could receive relief from the constant scrutiny of neighbors or themselves. Sinners could shed some of their lifelong shame in the forest. Hester feels this sense of relief when she walks through the forest, and she, momentarily, discards the embroidered letter. The forest is safe, but in the town she must keep the letter; consequently, "of her own free will…[she] resumed the symbol” (Hawthorne 178). The forest also inspires authenticity in Pearl, Dimmsdale, and Hester. Pearl is initially described as erratic and “imp” like, but while she is playing in the babbling brook her mother begins to understand her. The babbling brook symbolizes the divide from pearl’s wild, nature-like, perspective to Hester and Dimmsdales’ bitter, realistic, situations. After Pearl is understood better Hawthorne says, “The mother-forest and these wild things which it nourished, all recognized a kindred wildness in the human child” (138). This is the first time she is described as a human, and the diction is important here because it is a change from the imp, elf, descriptions. Another example of the authenticity the forest encourages is Hester and Dimmesdale conversation about their connection. The only place they feel free to discuss their relationship is in the forest. The forest is continuously a symbol of the opposing forces of the puritans and the wildness that comes with nature.

The scaffold was a puritan punishment; it forced sinners to publicize their mistakes and endure the shame. It was a humiliating and traumatizing experience. For Hester, it was horrifying to stand facing her mistake, but she remained dignified. After she focused on Pearl and helping those less fortunate than her. The scaffold was a punishment; Hawthorne described it as “the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and inclosing her in a sphere by herself” but it also redeemed her (36). As time passed, her “A” changed to stand for “able”, which references pennacne and selflessness. The scaffold shows us that publicizing sins is necessary for inner peace and salvation. Hesters’ experience with the scaffold strengthens her and brings her peace with herself. On the other hand, Dimmesdale keeps his sin private and it makes him sick. The burden on his conscience halts his ability to have peace and reach salvation. In the end, he is only able to find peace when he declares his part in the adultery and his relationship to pearl. The scaffold is a path towards salvation and peace if the sinner lets it guide them.

The forest and the scaffold have many differences, which each contribute to a developing idea. The forest is introduced by Mistress Hibbins, who is known for practicing witchcraft, as a place for friends of the Devil. It is rumored that “the black man” lingers in the forest waiting to pounce on weak sinners. In contrast, the scaffold is a part of the religious community and maybe religious people go there. The forest is a place for outsiders; it is a safe place for people who have been shunned by the puritan society, while the scaffold often holds the most important people of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The forest is a relieving place for sinners; it is a place where Dimmesdale isn’t followed by Chillingworth. He is able to acknowledge his connection to Hester, his love for Pearl, and his part in the sins. Unlike the forest, the scaffold otracizes sinners and shames them mercilessly. It is a form of punishment that is harsh and leads to community wide shunning. Lastly, the forest is a private place. Very few people walk through the forest and Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl feel safe to connect and discuss their relationships. In comparison, the scaffold is the most public place, and the whole person is the publicness of the sins. Overall, the forest and the scaffold are opposites in many ways, which helps create complex characters and ideas.

The contrast of the forest to the scaffold helps develop many ideas throughout The Scarlet Letter. One idea is that publicizing one’s sin can help one reach inner peace. While the forest, a private place, gave Dimmesdale temporary relief, he is never fully at peace until he confesses on a scaffold, the most public place. This contrast of privacy and the lack of helps the reader identify a pattern between Hester and Dimmesdale's confession. Hester is able to achieve peace through her public ostracizing on the scaffold, despite the isolation and shame it caused. The contrast between these two places helps draw an important difference between Hester and Dimmesdale. Hester is a known sinner; therefore, she is an outsider and belongs in the forest, not in the crowds of the scaffolds. Dimmesdale belongs in the forest, but he only belongs there according to himself and on the scaffold according to his listeners. This helps the reader understand that although they both participated in the adulterous act, yet their status in the community is very different. These ideas and themes work together to create this tale about sin, punishment, and shame.

Hawthorne’s contrasting elements help the reader understand what specific thing is affecting the characters. For example, we knew that Dimmesdale would feel better after a public confession due to how well Hester had been doing. The forest and the scaffold develop connections with sins and wellbeing, as well as many other common themes. Although this was written in the 1640s in a puritan society, many life lessons can still be learned.

Works Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter: and Related Readings. McDougal Littell, 1997.