Hester Prynne Punishment Quotes

Pearl’s existence reminds Hester of her act of passion, which the cultural morality of Boston dictates as sinful. This is evident not only because Pearl is the product of Dimmesdale and Hester’s action, but because of who Pearl is at heart. Pearl’s personality is as stated,

In The Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne is more than a literary figure in a classic novel, she is known by some people to be one of the earliest American Hero’s. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Hester commits adultery and has a child that she must care for all alone. She is forced to wear a powerful, attention grabbing “Scarlet A” on her chest while she must try to make a living to support her and her child, Pearl. Even though she must face all the harsh judgment and stares she does not allow her sin to stop her from living a successful life. She looks past the Letter as a symbol of sin and turns it into a sign of approval. Hester

From her initial introduction to the reader as the “yonder babe, (…) of some three or four months old”, Pearl represents the beauty of the truth (54). As she struggles to find answers about her mother’s scarlet A while simultaneously growing up, Pearl identifies as an innocent character, despite her creation. It is frequently noted that she looks similar to the scarlet letter that her mother so reluctantly bears, with her “bright complexion [and] eyes possessing intensity both of depth and glow, and hair already of a deep, glossy brown” (76). Her similar appearance to the scarlet letter furthers her permanent connection to the letter. Additionally, it highlights the notion that her mother will likely never be able to look at her without reminiscing upon her sin. As Pearl develops, her fire-like actions and dark appearance further molds her into the fleshly expression of Hester’s adultery. Furthermore, Hawthorne ensures to characterize Pearl throughout the novel as a friend to the sunlight, a friend to the truth. As she begins to pick determine that Dimmesdale is her father, the sunlight welcomes her. This is because she is the only innocent character who is not afraid to step into the sun’s rays. Pearl recognizes the light’s love for her and audibly notes, “the

The Scarlet Letter is made by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This book took place in a puritan town during the 1600s. The scarlet letter is about a woman named Hester Prynne who committed adultery with a minister. She was punished for her sin and had to wear a scarlet letter on her bosom for the rest of her life. As for the minister who is named Arthur Dimmesdale hid in the shadows for years and never took the blame for the sin he also committed. Hester never told anyone that Dimmesdale was the baby’s father so, Dimmesdale always looked like the good guy in any situation. As a result for the sin both Hester and Dimmesdale committed they had a daughter named Pearl. Pearl was an odd child they would say, they also say she was born out of darkness. Pearl

Pearl also becomes the one reason Hester still enjoys her life. She accompanies Hester everywhere they go. However she also has issues caused by her lack of social interaction, when kids make comments to her she charges and screams at them. Pearl is also very smart for her age. Throughout the story she is able to make connections based on very subtle cues, such as why Dimmesdale places his hand over his heart.

Little innocent Pearl. The baby born into one of the worst sins possible and has to stand with her mother while she is humiliated publically. Pearl is the one that helps Hester get through this tough time and she makes the story. Without Pearl, Hester would have given up on life and left all good morals behind. Through Pearl’s actions and encounters with people readers learn how important she is as a character in The Scarlet Letter.

Pearls are made in the darkness of a clam. Pearl was born in prison, into darkness. Hester paid the ultimate price of having pearl. Pearl is the result of the sin, adultery, that Hester and Dimmesdale committed. Hawthorne explains, “ Hester prynne- yes, at herself- who stood on the scaffold of the pillary, an infant in her arms…” ( Hawthorne 58) . This quote shows that Pearl isn’t an ordinary baby. Pearl is a result of sin and is a constant reminder of that. Hester can not get rid of Pearl, she going to spend the rest of her life with her life with Pearl and the guilt of how she got here is always there. As the story goes on, Pearl grows up and she knows who her father is. The town notices that Pearl was a little off. One time a group of kids was making fun of her and she started screaming and throwing rocks at the kids. Dimmesdale exclaims, “not then,Pearl” said the minister “but another time!” (Hawthorne 153). This proves Pearl knows Dimmesdale is her father and she asks him when he is going to claim her. Pearl is a very smart kid, nobody told her who her father is, she just knew. Dimmesdale feels guilty for not standing on the scaffold when hester did. Pearl is a constant reminder to him of the sin he committed. Pearl is a symbol of guilt not only towards Hester but dimmesdale,

The people of Boston see Pearl as a work of the devil because she is the result of a sin. She constantly asks her mother why she has it and where she came from. Once she denies the Heavenly Father the church wants her to be put in a better family. She often questions Dimmesdale and puts her own pieces together of who he is and his relationship to her family. When she asks Dimmesdale to stand beside her on the scaffold with her mother he rejects it showing his failure to admit adultery. Along with the scarlet letter she is a physical reminder of Hester Prynne’s sin and this is how her sin was revealed. She is evidence of her misdemeanor and reminds Hester of her mistake every day. Hester is sometimes scared by Pearl because she sees a demon in her eyes and is different than other kids. Although Pearl was the consequence of her actions she is also looked at as a blessing. She gives Hester a reason to live and is also one of the reasons she gets to keep her when the Church is deciding whether she should be put in the hands of more honorable parents. Chillingworth also uses her to find any clues as to who her father would be because of any resemblance. In The Scarlet Letter she is more of a physical representation of her mother’s sin than an actually

Both Dimmesdale and Hester are skeptical about Pearl’s true nature. Hawthorne describes Pearl as the “living hieroglyphic, in which was revealed the secret they so darkly sought to die-all written in the symbol, all plainly manifest.” Pearl, as a child, represents innocence. Yet, she is the physical, living version of her parent’s adultery. It brings up the question in the readers’ minds of “how something that was evil could be embodied in this beautiful symbol of love and innocence?”

She was a woman that has the qualities that is self-sustaining properties of women. For Example, they are tribulation, and perplexity. Hester was suffering for her crime, all of her heavens became dark. Pearl was surrounded by burning marks of its mother’s shame in her daily life. Patiently and courage which lead her life by she began to recognize that higher authority was in control. Then, she began to speak the wisdom of truth so that she can keep custody of her daughter, also that the days of her sin will be a key part of her soul going to heaven or hell. In her earnest appeal to be allowed to retain her child, she swept all away all eternal influences, and seems to have inspired the young clergyman, even now fainting with his own sense of meaner guilt, to speak words of truth, which in those days must have seemed born of heaven. (Pp.493-94). Despite being denied by the world, and learning the true meaning of wisdom which comes through honesty and self justification, Hester remained to stand her ground and not commit to any of the sin she committed. She always relied on her religion truth while going through the unavoidable sufferings. Her religious teacher was her companion in guilt! As a result, every day in her life they bond become closer and closer related to her life in Heaven. She belongs to heaven to live in eternal peace and happiness forever. Every day which

Throughout the Scarlet Letter, Pearl illustrates the bondage of sin and love that exists between Hester and Dimmesdale. She embodies the scarlet letter “A” her mother is required to wear as retribution. Due to this, Pearl also embodies the retribution that Hester must face. Pearl is the physical symbol of Hester's sin, and because of this, Dimmesdale persuades the town’s ministers to permit Hester to be the legal guardian of Pearl. He informs the ministers that Pearl is a constant reminder of Hester's sin. Although Pearl is a constant reminder of Hester’s sin, she also represents the grace of God. In spite of Hester's and Dimmesdale's sin, Hester was bestowed a great gift in the form of Pearl. She is beyond society’s disdain and judgment.

        Pearl primarily serves the role of silently urging Dimmesdale to overcome the pressures to conform to society, and to allow his guilty inner-self to emerge and receive retribution for his sins. She exists as a constant and living reminder and product of the sin Hester and Dimmesdale committed, and acknowledges the false innocence Dimmesdale tries so desperately to maintain. Her inquisition, "Why does he not wear [a scarlet letter] outside his bosom as thou dost?" (ch 16) to her mother concerning Dimmesdale is evidence of this. Pearl has no chance to conform to society because at birth she is regarded

The Scarlet Letter, a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a novel that takes place in the town of Boston, Massachusetts in 1642. Hester Prynne, the main character of the story, commits the sin of adultery. Because of this sin, she is "blessed" with a child named Pearl. Her punishment is to wear a scarlet letter “A" on her chest for the rest of her life, which affects the way the townspeople look and act around her. Also, she must stand on the scaffold in the town for three hours for the whole town to recognize her grave sins. The man who should be standing upon the scaffold along with her and Pearl is the town minister, Dimmesdale. He is presented as a weak character because of his fear of losing his beloved reputation as such a holy

Hester’s battle with herself can only be understood by taking a glimpse into her daily life with her beloved daughter, Pearl. Pearl is the physical manifestation of her sin, of the adultery that Hester committed with her secret lover; with every waking hour, Pearl is always alongside Hester, constantly reminding Hester of her transgression. Whenever Hester sees Pearl, she sees a young and energetic girl, who also possesses the same attributes that she loathes about herself, the difficult and wild side of herself that would never give up. Hawthorne writes that Pearl, “lacked reference and adaptation to the world into which she was born. [Pearl] could not be made amenable to rules” (Hawthorne

The novel “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne was published in the 1850s, and takes place in the Boston, Massachusetts area during the 17th Century when Puritans were the main population. Hester Prynne, is accused of committing adultery and is forced to wear a scarlet A against her chest and care for Pearl, Her daughter who is born from the tryst. In the beginning of the novel, both Pearl and the Letter are introduced at the same time aspressed against Hester’s chest. Though she chooses to hold the child close to her and the Letter is thrust upon her, Hawthorne shows the reader how determined she is to take these symbols of sin and integrate them into her life and create her own identity.