The Scarlet Letter Theme of Man and the Natural World

In this book all the good stuff goes down in the woods. Nature is almost like a character in the world of The Scarlet Letter. It is often personified as listening, commenting on, and interacting with other characters. The society itself (Puritan Boston society) is like an island surrounded by nature. The town is bordered on one side by a huge expanse of woods, home to Native Americans (the Wampanoag tribes). On the other side lies the big blue Atlantic Ocean. From the beginning of this story, our narrator tells us that nature is “kind” and generous, contrasting heavily with the cold and strict ways of Puritan society.

1. What is Pearl’s relationship to nature and to the natural world?
2. What do the woods and the ocean represent in the world of The Scarlet Letter?
3. What are the woods like? Is it a friendly and comforting place?
4. What role does the wild rosebush play in this story?

In this story nature is violent.

Nature represents everything the Puritan society tries to suppress or outlaw.