The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne often contrasts the Puritan civilized land of Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony to that of the scattered, uncivilized wilderness. In a Biblical reenactment, the New World was seen as the Land of Israel and the Puritans were the new Israelites, not escaping religious persecution from Egypt but instead from Anglican England. Puritans were the cleansing spirit who would bring civilization to the Indian savages that had no claim to the land that was created for God’s children. The Puritan township was central to civilization. Any crimes against Puritan doctrine would be dealt with through harsh sentences. But the land outside of the town was a land not bound by human law, but one of nature. Since this land was not “civilized,” the Puritans…show more content… The reason the Puritans regard the forest as evil, governed by the Black Man himself, is because the forest is ungoverned by the Puritans themselves. Anything contrary to their law was seen as evil. As Hester points out herself when discussing with her husband Chillingworth in the prison, "Art thou like the Black Man that haunts the forest round us? Hast thou enticed me into a bond that will prove the ruin of my soul?" (Hawthorne 71). Hester re-enforces the idea of the forest being evil, governed by Satan himself, that she was taught from a young age by the Puritans. After her brief stay in prison, Hester’s residency is moved to a cottage on the outskirts of town, away from the center of Boston and on the outskirts of the forest. This is significant to the symbolism of the town and the forest, as she is still located in the town and governed by its theocratic law, but because she is on the edge of town, near the forest, Hester is able to live peacefully off of her passion of sewing. Hester rediscovers her passionate sewing ability due to her living on the edge of town near the
