The topos of the forest in N. Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter”
The article explores the symbolism of the forest in N. Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter.” This study aims not only to interpret the meanings associated with this topos but also to illustrate its role in developing three internal plots within the novel. A brief overview of the forest’s reception as a symbolic space in European culture reveals four primary interpretations: the forest as a source of materials and resources, the forest as hell, the forest as paradise, and the forest as a frontier —...
