Essay Topic: How does Nathaniel Hawthorne utilize the physical setting of the novel to correlate the events that take place throughout the novel? Respond to the essay topic in a well written 5 paragraph format addressing the essay prompt, using delineated details from the novel.
In the Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the physical setting of the novel is utilized in such a manner to correlated the book's events and the location in which these events take place. For example, when both Hester and Pearl encountered the Minister in the dark night in the forest, Hester revealed to the Minister important information. By the brook, Hester exposed the truth of the identity of Chillingworth as her husband to the Minister, which may very well suggest locations like the forrest conceal the secrerts that cannot be told. This secret defines that the location in the novel is important as in the location of the forrest, as it suggests that it hs its own conventions and rules that work against the Puritain Society's rules. And thus, many locations noted throughout the novel have a specific purpose for those events that occur not only to conceal secrets, but reveal significant information for the reader.
The day Hester Prynne and her daughter walked the ends of the forest one evening, where they encountered the Minister returning from the Apostle Elito, among his Inidan converts, they both revealed something more symbolic about the forest. When Pearl claimed to her mother, "the sunshine does not love you," it signaled that Pearl was beginning to understand the pain that her mother has to endure from wearing the Scarlet Letter "A" on her chest without realizing so. Pearl's words reveal that even though the "sunshine" cannot find its way back to Hester's life, because "it is afraid of something on your bosom," it brings to light that the forest is a form of protection of Hester's sins and wrong doings. In addition, this goes back to highlight that such revealtionsand secrets are hidden in the forest, that if they are easily talked about, no one except its habitants would know. Unlike the town, where everyone including the Town fathers are all ears, information like ones that Pearl implicity reveal, could be understood and made rumors of. Furthermore, the fact that thwe time of the day is night time proves taht not many could congregate in nature's life, and hear of such conversing. Moreover, Pearl's words of, "once in my life I met the Black Man," foreshadows that in this forest that talks of the Black Man, known to the reader as Chillingworth will be discussed. Therefore, the forest does reveal significant pieces of the puzzles, which cannot be disclosed in places like the twon.
Even though the night and nature of the forest are utilized in a manner as protectors of clandestinematters, the platform or scaffold mirrors one's sins and sufferings. One night while under the influence of a species of somnambulism, Mr. Dimmesdale walks and reaches the spot, in which Hester stood to endure her hours of public ignominy. He stood, where seven years agao, he denied to share his shame and sin of evil with Hester, with no noion of why? He didn't stand in such a degrading spot to be judged, but to try to free his guilty conscience. The narrator introduces the rhetorical question of, "Poor miserable man! what right had infirmity like to his to burden itself with crime?" From those words, the narrator enlightens the reader that whether it was by choice or not, such a place like the scaffold brought the Minister during the night to endure and repent for his sins. It acted as his conscience, which was a mirror to bring him in confrontation with himself , and who he really is. The location of the scaffold both helps and tortures the Minister, especially in the night, to pnder on his thoughts and the past actions he took, in not admitting to his part of his crime and sin. And thus, because hestands in the night, he is once protected by the set of rules that it stages, where even Reverend Wilson didn't realize his presence. This brings one to conclude, that the location of the scaffold acted as the Minister's self-evaluation of his conscience and mentallity. His long night vigil brought more than suffering to his door step, it brough thim to face reality with his inspired sermons.
Furthermore, Nathaniel Hawthorne utilized location very well to bring the reader to discern that events happened in a sequence that is based on the events he chose for to happen. In deed, throughout the novel, the night gives its inhabitant the freedom to live in secrecy and in a contained life. As in comparison to daytime, which exposes all truth and how the Puritain Society conventions are incorporated, the night gives power to one to live in harmony and solititude.
