Hunter Rittle. Mrs. Voshell . Honors English 10 . 6 January
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Hunter Rittle
Mrs. Voshell
Honors English 10
6 January 2016
Pearl as a Symbol Throughout the Scarlet Letter
In the novel, “The Scarlet Letter”, a woman named Hester Prynne commits a sin. She commits the sin of adultery which results in the birth of her daughter Pearl. Hester now has to wear a scarlet letter on her chest for the rest of her life. Unbeknownst to everyone else except Hester, Dimmesdale, is the father of Pearl. Hester’s husband, Roger Chillingworth, now seeks revenge for what Hester has done to him. He learns that Dimmesdale is the father but tells no one because he wants to have something over Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale reveals his sin to the public of Boston and dies. Pearl and Hester leave to make a life for themselves.…show more content… “She approaches and affects Hester and Dimmesdale appropriately different ways suited to the capacity of each to receive and understand her meaning” (McNamara 540). This shows that Pearl can change Hester and Dimmesdale. “An imp of evil, emblem and product of sin” (Hawthorne 103). This shows that the townspeople of Boston see her as a product of sin. Pearl has many different roles in this novel. Another use of Pearl is that she seems to be able to change the characters in the novel. Due to her sin and the birth of Pearl, Hester must now wear the scarlet letter for the rest of her life (Hawthorne 60). Dimmesdale also has to wear something for his sin. But Dimmesdale does it in secret since no one knows he is the father of Pearl. He has disfigured his chest in some way. Near the end of the novel, Hester finally takes off her scarlet letter after Dimmesdale and her make plans to leave Boston with Pearl. Pearl, who does not like this, grows angry at her mother and begs Hester to put the scarlet letter back on . “Pearl causes a visible change in Hester by audibly, imperiously, and petulantly demanding that her mother pin the discarded A in its customary place” (McNamara 540). At the end of the novel Dimmesdale shows to everyone his chest and what he has done. He also confesses to being the father of Pearl. “With a convulsive motion, he tore away the ministerial band from before his breast. It was revealed!” (Hawthorne 281). All the