The Scarlet Letter: The Harsh Puritan Society In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, life centers on a rigid, puritanically structured society in which one is not able to disclose their most intimate feelings. thoughts and secrets. Every human being needs the opportunity to express what they truly feel, otherwise the emotion is repressed until it becomes volatile. Unfortunately, Puritan society did not allow this expression, so the characters had to seek alternative means to liberate themselves. Fortunately, at least for the four main characters, Hawthorne offers such a sanctuary in the form of a mysterious forest. Hawthorne uses the forest to provide refuge for members of society who need refuge from everyday life. In the deep, dark parts of the forest, many of the crucial characters bring hidden thoughts and emotions to light. The forest track leads away from the settlement into the wilderness where all signs of civilization fade. This is precisely the escape route, from the rigid dictates of law and religion, to a refuge where men, as well as women, can open up and be themselves. It is here that Dimmesdale can openly acknowledge Hester and his undying love for her. This is where Hester can do the same for Dimmesdale. It is here that the two can openly engage in conversation, without worrying about the constraints that Puritan society places on them. The forest itself is free. No one keeps watch in the woods to report bad behavior, so this is where people do what they want. For independent spirits like Hester Prynne's, the wild beckons: "Throw off the shackles of law and religion. What good have they done you anyway? Look at you, a young, spirited woman, aged before her time. And there is no 'tis to be wondered at, surrounded, as you are, on every side by prohibitions. You can scarcely walk without stumbling upon one commandment or another. Come to me, and be masterless. Truly, Hester takes advantage, when ArthurDimmesdale appears with Dimmesdale about topics that would never be mentioned anywhere other than the forest. "What we did..." she reminds him, "has had its own consecration. We felt it that way! We're told!" (p. 186) This statement shocks Dimmesdale, and he tells Hester to keep quiet, but he eventually realizes that he is in an environment where he can open up. The thought of Hester and Dimmesdale having a conversation intimate within 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