Symbolism - The Hang Wood

Kingshaw first escapes from Warings in search for freedom from Hooper. However, soon after he reaches the Hang Wood, Hooper finds Kingshaw and joins him on his trip. The Hang Wood may also symbolise the entrapment that Kingshaw cannot escape, because even in the Hang Wood, where Kingshaw expected peace and freedom, there was Hooper whom didn't allow Hooper to stay alone. Kingshaw feels resigned when he discovers that Hooper had followed him into the Hang Wood. He "only felt a dull sense of inevitability." Kingshaw knows that Hooper would never back away from Kingshaw, and that he cannot get Hooper out of his life now. Also, Kingshaw keeps "expecting to see the end" of the Hang Wood on the opposite side of Warings, but he doesn't. This suggests the endless hardships and entrapment that Kingshaw is, and will go through. Furthermore, the trees in the Hang Wood with their leaves "too thick to let much light in" imply the suffocating confinement of Kingshaw by Hooper. In the end, Kingshaw drowns himself in the Hang Wood, as a result of unceasing overpower of Hooper and neglect from his parents. The classifier "Hang Wood" with the word "hang" may imply death and the tragic ending that takes place in the Hang Wood.

On the contrary, the Hang Wood is where Kingshaw finally acquires his power over Hooper. Hooper is constantly "wrapped up in fear" while the boys are in the Hang Wood, and scared at the nature. This suggests that Hooper is only accustomed to artificial and rigid atmosphere where it is emotionless and everything is orderly. On the other hand, Kingshaw appreciates "the sense of being completely hidden" when Hooper is not yet with him, and even after Hooper is with him, he seems to be familiar with the nature and leading Hooper, unlike in Warings. This illustrates the sense of freedom that Kingshaw finds in the Hang Wood. Furthermore, Kingshaw drowns himself in the Hang Wood in the end, feeling "excited" before he steps into the stream. He takes his clothes off before entering the stream. The clothes may represent Kingshaw's mental pain and wounds from Hooper and his family, and the action of Kingshaw taking his clothes off symbolises Kingshaw getting freed from the imprisonment that burdened him. Even though Kingshaw commits a suicide, it may be an action by Kingshaw to find a real freedom and actually escape from the harsh reality. Perhaps Kingshaw won against Hooper by taking those burden off from his shoulders.

In conclusion,the Hang Wood on one side symbolises imprisonment and lack of freedom of Kingshaw, however on the other side it symbolises the completely opposite concept; freedom and escape from the imprisonment.