Scarlet Letter Pearl Quotes

“On one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rose-bush, covered, in this month of June, with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom, in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and be kind to him." Chapter 1, pg. 46

In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne characterizes Pearl with contrasting personalities and roles she plays in Hester’s life. Pearl’s conflicting personality components, innocence and defiance, both derive from her isolation from society, which transpired because of her mother’s sin. Pearl represents the conflict between everything good and dark, which reflects in the role she plays in Hester’s life, as the physical embodiment of the A. While Pearl serves as a savior to Hester, representing possible redemption, she is also Hester’s tormentor, a constant reminder of her sin, and the consequences of disobeying her Puritan nature and religion. Hawthorne’s intent is established in the novel through Pearl’s attachment to the A, the mirror

Thomas Carlyle, a famous Scottish philosopher known for his poetry, and morality once said, “It is through symbols that man consciously or unconsciously lives, works and has beings.” This quote relates to Pearl in The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne because of her ability to make her own moral choices apart from those of her mother, or the townspeople. Throughout the novel, the letter A, the rose, and nature all symbolize Pearl and her morality. To begin, the letter A is presumably a symbol for Pearl. Pearl is an uncontrollable little girl who has behavioral issues and acts similar to a demon child.

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

““There was witchcraft in little Pearl’s eyes, and her face, as she glanced upward at the minister, wore that naughty smile which made its expression frequently so elvish.” (Hawthorne 145) This, is a misleading description that Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts of Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne, in his classic novel The Scarlet Letter. Pearl is the living product of sin for her mother. Born out of wedlock, Pearl is a unique child that tends to be very moody and unpredictable. However, Pearl, at such a young age, demonstrates outstanding knowledge and exhibits curiosity to her mother’s scarlet letter, and the hypocrisy of Puritan society. Although Pearl portrays devilish characteristics and performs mischievous behaviour, she

She was born in a prison, and is being raised in a cottage that is nowhere near the village where all the other children grow up. When people call her such things, she does hear, so this hurts her emotionally and makes this an internal conflict for she must deal with the feelings of being different and judged by others. Since she is isolated from that part of a normal childhood, her only friend in the novel growing up is her mother. This being another internal conflict because she grew knowing her mother always wears the scarlet letter, and is in a certain community that has rules about women. Now in the novel, chapter 17, Hester takes off a garment that covers her hair and removes the scarlet letter from her bosom. Pearl seeing this throws a tantrum for her mother to undo this doing. Causing a major internal conflict of how Pearl sees her mother and dealing with what her mother’s symbols stand for. Pearl mocks her mother for that. There’s an external conflict created by Pearl towards Dimmesdale for when he is conversing with Hester in the forest and he dwells for a kiss, but Pearl refrains. Pearl is a strange child, for she knows something must be going on.

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

Chapter 1:The Prison Door The first scene of the scarlet letter begins with a description of a dull, dusty, dark prison cell Every description pertaining to the people or the society has a sense of depression that is dark and bland.   The only living and colorful item described in the scene is a rose bush at the peak of it's growth, which becomes an important symbol throughout the book. Chapter 2:The Market Place

On their way to the governor’s mansion, Pearl skips along in her red dress that has been embroidered with gold thread. The description of the dress directly correlates the to the letter’s description. Hawthorne uses the dress to show the relationship between the child and the sinful, scarlet letter. Pearl’s mysterious and charming ways perfectly embody the spirit of the scarlet

Pearl also functions as a constant reminder of Hester's adulterous act. Even as a baby, she was always reaching for the scarlet letter. Hawthorne says it is the first object of which she seemed aware. She creates her own letter out of moss, sees the letter in the breastplate at Governor Bellingham's mansion, and points at it in the forest scene with Hester and Dimmesdale.

Pearl was never fully described until the sixth chapter, in which she is said to be of “a perfect shape..”(TSL 61) and her everyday attire containing a “native grace”. (TSL 61) We also see Pearl as more of a rowdy child, with an unquenchable thirst for answers to her neverending questions. These qualities are seen to be calmed down whenever she would make contact with the Reverend, Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester noted this during her and Pearl’s visit to Governor Bellingham’s house as Pearl “stole softly towards him (Dimmesdale)...laid her cheek against it;a caress so tender…” (TSL 79), seemingly feeling something towards Dimmesdale. Even as Pearl scampered down the hall supposedly ignorant of the passion she had just momentarily shown, it was evident that Pearl felt that Dimmesdale was her father.

    Pearl is a direct reminder that although Hester and Dimmesdale are dealing with their guilt in their sins, that their daughter is a direct reminder of the obligation they have to her. It would be made clear that Pearl is the human form of the scarlet letter when Hester dressed her up in gold and scarlet. The young girl is a constant reminder to her mother's adultery that led to her birth, and even as a baby, the girl would reach for the scarlet letter. Her daughter would be her torture and her salvation, all at once.

Pearl is an omniscient being that gives readers glimpses into the condition of other people's souls through her actions around them. Her mother, Hester, represents fallen man, confessed and redeemed; Dimmesdale, fallen man unconfessed and unredeemed; and Chillingworth, fallen man unconfessed and agent of

Her mother was forced to live in a world with no escape from the symbol and the stigma of it. She is seen later at the age of seven playing in a creek and she forms a letter “A” on her chest with green eel-grass. “‘I wonder if mother will ask me what it means!’ thought Pearl”(185) This quote illustrates that she was not just playing around, instead she was making an effort to make her mother acknowledge the symbol as it was once again and that she was a living part if that symbol. She later asks her mother what the scarlet letter means, relating it to Hester and to Arthur Dimmesdale, with his hand over his chest all the time. Her questioning her mother on this forced her mother to think about the effect she already knew it had on herself, and what it did to Dimmesdale and his hiding of the sin he committed and the constant sign of that Pearl

In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne explores the idea of personified passion using the character, Pearl. The story is about the guilty sin of two lovers and how their lives play out in their Puritan settlement. Pearl, their child, is shown as a being unlike any other, due to her parents’ sin, through her lively charisma. Throughout the novel, one can see how she evolves as her parents’ relationships change.