... in The Scarlet Letter an escape from the public scrutiny of the market place. This separation from the center of the Puritan settlement provides freedom from religious expectations, accepted mores, restrictive laws, and most importantly, public judgment. The forest is the perfect place for behaviors that will not be acceptable under normal circumstances, perhaps providing much needed freedom from an otherwise ... civilized society. For the people of Boston, the forest proves to be an unknown and uncharted environment. The Puritan belief system associates the unknown as a place for evil ...

• Word Count: 2453
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School