In the Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne commits adultery, a shameful sin, and is severely punished. Yet, although his sin was not a good choice, Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author, attempts to justify his actions. His writing indicates that he does not accept his behavior but that it was not completely his fault. Being a Puritan, Hester was forced to follow a lifestyle, the only one acceptable in the eyes of her community. This pressure to adhere to numerous strict rules has been metaphorically compared to a difficult journey along a narrow, winding road in the forest with little light. The Puritan lifestyle curbed deviant behavior and is a justification for Hester's sin because everyone strays from the path every now and then, but it is the reaction to wrongdoing that should be defined and Hester remained strong and bore the consequences. Another main idea within the Puritan community was the rejection of tolerance. They did not tolerate any behavior outside their ideals and laws because it broke the uniformity of the religion. Once again, Hawthorne uses the metaphor of a road to portray this idea within Puritan society. It suggests the idea that anything that is off the path is evil and should not be tolerated. Because a road is made to be followed, and anything outside the established boundaries of a road is irrelevant to one's destination. This path created by Hawthorne effectively demonstrates the idea of ​​a strict Puritan society and demonstrates not only the path Puritans are required to follow, but also what they are forbidden from while confined to the path. Traditionally, forests or woodlands are used to symbolize wild and untamed nature, and the inhabitants are usually depicted as savages or outlaws. Hawthorne uses the forest to represent the things that Puritans are supposed to avoid and that are forbidden; things that will make them sinners or turn them into savages or outlaws. He describes the “mystery of the primeval forest” and states that the forest is a “mystery,” which contradicts what the Puritans want in their society, uniformity (125). The forest symbolizes what they don't want, a change from the path everyone must follow. Change is not tolerated in their religion; change is their evil. The forest represents this change; it is wild and untamed, uneven. Becoming curious and wanting to explore, straying from the path and venturing into the "mysterious forest", would be the ultimate sin, like Hester's sin..