the book. Hester’s speech turns out to bear a remarkable resemblance to one of Dimmesdale’s sermons. “Begin all anew! ... Preach! Write! Act!”(p. 188) The questions she asks are also like the articulate questions which Dimmesdale would pose during his sermons. The answer is obvious, yet upon closer examination they seem to give unexpected results. “Whither leads yonder forest-track? Backward to the settlement, thou sayest! Yea; but onward, too! Deeper it goes, and deeper into the wilderness... until, some few miles hence, the yellow leave will show no vestige of the white man’s tread.” (p. 187) If one looks at the title of this chapter, the meaning becomes much clearer. “The Pastor and His Parishioner” reveals that the roles are now reversed. Where else could an incongruity such as this occur, but in an accepting environment? What other platform is there for a man of high regard in the community to pour his soul to a woman who is shunned by the public for a grave sin? Nowhere else but in the forest could such an event occur. Finally, the forest brings out the natural appearance and natural personality of the people who use it correctly. When Hester takes off her cap and unloosens her hair, we see a new person. We see the real Hester, who has been hidden this whole time under a shield of shame. Her eyes grow radiant and a flush comes to her cheek. We recognize her as the Hester from Chapter 1. The beautiful, attractive person who is not afraid to show her hair and not afraid to display her beauty. The sunlight, which previously shunned Hester, now seeks her out, and the forest seems to glow. Dimmesdale has also come back to life, if only for a short time, and he is now hopeful and energetic. We have not seen this from Dimmesdale for a long time, and most likely will not see it ever again. Puritan society can be harsh and crippling to one’s inner self. Hawthorne created the for...
