Interpreting Pearl's Character In The Scarlett Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

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

     After her horrible ordeal, and her release from prison, Hester and Pearl reside for the next few years in a hut by the sea. Hester tries to keep her distance from the Puritans. She does not want them to influence Pearl. Hester wants to raise Pearl, and find peace within herself. Pearl, however,

5. Standing on the scaffold, Hester envisions her earlier life.  What facts do you learn about her previous life?  What was her relationship with the man “well stricken in years”?

“Imagination is the key ingredient to overcoming fear and doubt.” Throughout “The Scarlet Letter”, Nathaniel Hawthorne tends to emphasize the intensity of Pearl’s imagination by describing the way Pearl saw the world around her and by talking about the way the people who noticed her vivid imagination, referred to her as a “witch-child”. In “The Scarlet Letter”, Pearl grows up secluded from the rest of the children in the New World. She learns to entertain herself and keep herself company by using her imagination. This is one big example of Pearl overcoming the hardships that she grew up with. As the book progresses, and as Pearl gets older, we see her overcome more hardships she is challenged with to create a strong, independent young girl. The poem provided written by Emily Dickinson comes to show how overcoming Pearl’s hardships led her to blossom from a strong, independent young girl, into an even stronger, successful woman.

She touches the scarlet letter, but little does she know that she is the reason for the punishment. They are social outcasts, so they don’t leave their house much. Pearl plays alone and has best friends that are imaginary. She distrusts her own imaginary friends for the same reason that she distrusts all the Puritans in the colony. People treat Hester and Pearl differently than everyone else is treated. She only loves Hester, because Hester spends time with her and is a good mother. She plays with her and teaches her Bible stories. Pearl knows the whole catechism at the age of three, but refuses to say it to anyone. She is smarter than everyone thinks she is. Chillingworth speaks to Pearl about the scarlet letter. He asked her if she knew the reason why her mother must wear the scarlet letter all the time. She replies, “Yes, that is the same reason why the preacher holds his hand over his heart.” Pearl asks her mom all the time the reason why she wears the scarlet letter and why the preacher holds his hand over his heart. She knows that they both do, but she doesn’t know why. Hester tells her that she wears it because of the pretty gold thread, but she doesn’t know the minister’s reason. Later in the story, Dimmesdale, Hester, and Pearl meet in the forest, and Hester rips the scarlet letter off. Pearl gets mad then, because she knows that her mother is supposed to wear it. Dimmesdale kisses Pearl, but she washes the kiss off with

For example, the first thing she instinctively clutches to is the A fastened on Hester’s chest: “But that first object of which Pearl seemed to become aware was the scarlet letter on Hester's bosom” (Hawthorne). Here, Pearl’s aberration illustrates her deviation from normality. While Hester believes Pearl’s outlandish nature is God’s punishment for her sin, Hester also recognizes that Pearl is a gift from God, representing possible redemption. Pearl’s shift from endearing to demon-like behavior reinforces the idea that Pearl is Hester’s savior, yet also her tormentor. Pearl’s attachment to the A was further exemplified when she “imitated, as best she could, on her own bosom the decoration with which she was so familiar on her mother's” (Hawthorne). Despite society’s belief that Hester can only redeem herself through public shame, wearing the A, Pearl believes that the only escape from sin is in nature, as shown through her creation of a green A. Additionally, Pearl intentionally made the A to provoke her mother, wondering “if mother will ask me what it means,” characterizing Pearl as Hester’s tormentor (Hawthorne). Furthermore, while Pearl is physically attached to the A, she is also mentally, as shown through her constant questioning of Hester. “what does this scarlet letter mean?—and why dost thou wear it on thy bosom?—and why does the minister keep his hand over his heart?” (Hawthorne). Pearl is

To conclude, the strong, positive attitude Hester portrays, differs heavily from the town’s view of Hester,and in the end, her perseverance displays how she overcame the harsh ridiculement of the Boston colony. The overwhelming amount of hate Hester initially faced is all accross the novel. Whenever Hester had an interaction with a person, she was thereafter treated with some hostility. However, she never let it get to her, she always did what was right and kept pushing forward, to eventually earn the love of the people. Strangely, with the birth of Pearl, Hester is also reborn into a new life. With Hester being reborn, she is greeted with a scarlet letter, the connection between them, changes throughout the novel, ultimately ending up as

Pearl grows up without knowing who her father is. She is asked by her mother if she knows why she wears The Scarlet Letter, and Pearl replies, “Truly I do! It is the same reason that the minister keeps his hand over his heart!”(Hawthorne 157). Hester and Dimmesdale both get outcasted by the community. They both go through the same pain even though no one knows that Dimmesdale is Pearl’s father. She loves Dimmesdale so much that she protects him from the community. Hester tries to protect Dimmesdale from the community because of all the guilt he

Mr. Wilson tests Pearl’s Puritan beliefs by asking who made her. Pearl knows the correct answer; however, she cantankerously replies that she was “plucked… off the bush of wild roses, that grew by the prison door” (99). Governor Bellingham and Mr. Wilson are terrified and want to take her away from Hester. However, Hester protests that she will fight for the right to keep her. The child is God’s gift of both her happiness and torture, and if they take her, she is willing to die first. By request, Dimmesdale then persuades Governor Bellingham and Mr. Wilson that by allowing Hester custody, she will bring the child to heaven by learning from her mistakes. Pearl then proceeds to caress Dimmesdale's hand, followed by a hesitant forehead kiss from

The stigma of sin haunts the history of the Puritan community, Hester wore the scarlet letter as a reminder to herself and the community of her grave sin of committing adultery. In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Hester Pryne commits adultery and in result has to wear the scarlet letter for the rest of her life. Pearl the result of her mother's sin is a living, breathing example of sin. Pearl is seen as a demon because of her evil nature, a series of events occur which changes the puritan community's thoughts on Pearl by the end of the novel.

The person Pearl is most drawn to is Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. She shows this by walking up to him as he stepped away from the other men and gently grabbed his hand with her two and laid her cheek against it, “a

At this point of the story, Pearl is now seven, and her transformation is almost complete. The one thing that is not allowing her to proceed with her alteration are the facts that she does not know who her father is, and, ironically, that she does not comprehend the relationship between her mother and Arthur Dimmesdale. Similar to Judas, Dimmesdale avoids having any affiliation with Hester and Pearl. Pearl becomes eager to have Dimmesdale acknowledge her in

Pearl is often accused of being a witch child, but Hester tries her best not to believe it. Hester does her best to be there for her daughter, even when she was faced with her own burdens. Even though she’s been through so much in her, Hester gives out all her love whenever she can. That proves that she’s become a pure and loyal person.

Pearl, however, does not just bring pain to Hester’s life. She is also the only source of light in her sad life. Hester gave Pearl her name because her birth had cost her a “great price,―purchased with all she had,” (81) but also because she was the light of her life. When Hester visits the Governor’s mansion, she is forced to make a desperate plea to keep her daughter. "She is my happiness!―She is my torture, nonetheless! Pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl

This is Hawthorne’s way of closing the tale and demonstrating the effects of disclosing one’s hidden sin. The narrator gave insight to how the Puritans viewed Pearl by saying, “The Puritans looked on, and, if they smiled, were none the less inclined to pronounce the child a demon offspring, from the indescribable charm of beauty and eccentricity that shone through her little figure, and sparkled with its activity” (Hawthorne 227-228), when Pearl was dancing around town square before the procession. This shows that Pearl is still a flighty creature, unbound from nature’s laws, and everyone in the settlement recognizes it. She continually shows her uncharacteristic, for that day’s standards, spark of life. In contrast to all previous chapters, Pearl is finally able to feel “real” emotions when she is standing at the podium with Dimmesdale and Hester, the narrator states, “Pearl kissed his lips. A spell was broken. The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies: and as her tears fell upon her father’s cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and sorrow…” (Hawthorne 238). Pearl throughout the story was often show as not being able to connect with Hester, or anybody for that matter, due to her lack of empathy. However, immediately upon kissing Dimmesdale, Pearl gains the