The Influence Of Pearl In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

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

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

In The Scarlet Letter, Pearl is often regarded as a symbol to that of the suffering of Hester Prynne and the shamed Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale but Pearls significance is more than just symbolizing the sin committed by her parents. She in many ways represents the innocence that the puritan belief is regressing itself to have. Hawthorne constructs Pearl as an evolving symbol for Hester and Dimmsdale and her progression as a character is shown through that of the actions set forth by these characters. Since the inception of the act of adultery by Hester and Dimmesdale, Pearl is developed by sin but she is not conformed to sin and as a result symbolizing a release of sin. She is essentially the road from childhood to adulthood, innocence to innocence lost to finally understanding and accepting the card that we are all delved with and that’s life after sin.

“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.

This, as Arthur Dimmesdale almost prophetically expresses in the early scenes of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, was the role of Pearl, the elfish child borne of his and Hester Prynne's guilty passion. Like Paul's thorn in the flesh, Pearl would bring trouble, heartache, and frustration to Hester, but serve a constructive

The characters in The Scarlet Letter are individually viewed differently by the people in the town. Pearl, the infant in the beginning scaffold scene, is a complex character in the novel that is subjected to the cruel comments and rude behavior of the townspeople. Although Pearl is shown as a human character just like all the other characters, Pearls main purpose is to be a living, complicated symbol for the scarlet letter “A” that her mother is forced to wear. Along with the letter “A” printed on her mother’s chest, Pearl is seen as evil and often considered a child of the devil. Although that observation is based solely on the opinions of the townspeople and the letter her mother wears, Pearl often acts in a manner that could be described

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

Many authors feel that Pearl could be a symbol for many objects as Barbara Garlitz writes, “Soon after The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850 Pearl was called both ‘an imbodied angel from the skies’ and ‘a void little demon,’ and time produced no unanimity of opinion. In the past hundred years she has been variously described as ‘most artificial and unchildlike,’ and as possessing ‘ the natural bloom… of childhood,’ as a creature ‘of moral indifference, as one not born into the moral order,’ and as an illustration of ‘that law which visits the sins of the fathers upon the children.’ For some critics she performs the function of ‘a symbolized conscience,’ but for others she is simply ‘a darksome fairy’ or ‘ the one touch of color in a sombre picture.’” (Garlitz 689). Pearl is seen in many different ways.

Hester makes Pearl fancy embroidered clothing of gold and/or red, colors that are synonymous with the scarlet letter which Hester wears. Her clothing further links Pearl to the scarlet letter and Hester’s passion. Hester believes that Pearl’s strange behavior is a result of her being conceived through a sinful act of passion. The community also see Pearl’s behavior as inappropriate and believe that she is a demon offspring. If Pearl’s life, appearance, and behavior were not enough to remind Hester of her sin, Pearl, herself, reminds Hester, often unkindly, of the sin.

Pearl allows Hester to realize she is “able” to get through this and the townspeople seem to agree a while on into the story. Pearl explains the overlooked truths of the scarlet letter. Back when Pearl was still an infant and Hester was dealing with the humiliation of being on the scaffold shamed upon by the whole town, it wasn’t until Pearl was old enough to question Hester’s letter, to realize that the “A” could in a sense be overcome. Hester was so worried about living up to this scarlet letter and how her daughter would react, so at first seeing Pearl’s questing to it, she becomes depressed and worrisome of how Pearl feels. As readers we can understand to the point of how eventually Hester overcomes this battle of her true identity and realizing she is more than what society has labeled her as.

The Scarlet Letter, Pearl reveals the truth about Hester and Dimmesdale’s sin through pointed actions. Pearl constantly reminds her parents of their sin, however, she doesn’t simply act a symbol, she also reminds them of what they’ve done through her behavior. When Hester casts down her scarlet letter, Pearl forces her mother to retrieve the letter and replace it on her chest, then Pearl “kissed the scarlet letter too!”, treating it like it’s part of Hester (190). By keeping Pearl reminds her mother that she is a sinner and will never be free of her sin, though her intentions are seemingly innocent. She also represents the idea that sin is a natural part of being human.

Hawthorne uses the entire spectrum of characteristics and symbolism to distinguish Pearl as the true human she really is. From the deeper meaning of what rooted Pearl to this life, and even why she is called pearl opens up the speculation of the characters around her, into what Pearl really is. After analysis it is clear that Pear is simply human, ahead of her time in puritan society, in a world that was not yet ready to accept the flaws that were a given right. Hawthorne’s brilliant transcendentalist mind shown through as he wrote and developed Pearl into the lustrous, gesticulating, and alphabet obsessed girl, who just wanted to bring to light the disease of humanity that ravages through each and every

Pearl’s role in the story, which is beyond her understanding, is to unconsciously advocate the scarlet letter. Pearl has always been fascinated with the scarlet letter. From had taken interest in the emblem since she was an infant. While waiting for the town-fathers to return to Governor Bellingham’s mansion, Pear takes interest in a suit of armor.

Just like when beautiful pearls come from grotesque oysters, Pearl is the beauty and unique product that arises out of her parent’s sin. Pearl’s first appearance in The Scarlet Letter is in the second chapter, “The Market-Place.” Her mother, Hester Prynne, steps out from the prison door with Pearl in her arms. Pearl had been living in the shadows her whole life before this moment. She squints and turns her head away from, “the too vivid light of day.”

One of the symbols used is Pearl. She is a symbol of her mother’s sin. Hester Prynne, Pearls mother, was charged with the sin of adultery. Her husband left on a boat and didn’t come back for three years. She thought that he was dead, and had a child with another man. She was still married so it was still considered adultery even if she didn’t know he was alive. Hawthorne used the name pearl as a symbol of a nasty sin. He uses this name, because pearls are something beautiful. Pearls are made from clams, they use something nasty, which is dirt, and form the pearl out of it. Pearl is just like a real pearl she is something beautiful that come from something nasty, which would be her mother’s sin. We know Pearl is a beautiful baby, because in