The Scarlett Letter: Reflection In The Scarlet Letter

     As she stood on the scaffold, Hester held her newborn Pearl. pearl was the outcome of her unfaithfulness. Pearl had been adequately named, for she was of extreme value to her mother. Hester’s subjection to the crowd of Puritan onlookers is excruciating

Hawthorne points out that the first thing Pearl saw in her infancy was the scarlet letter. As a baby she even reached up and touched the letter, causing her mother intense agony at the shame it generated in her. Pearl later played a game where she threw flowers at her mother and jumped around in glee every time she hit the scarlet letter.

Hester Prynne, the main character of the book "The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, commits adultery, is considered a hussy, and has a child as the result of her sin. She cheats on her husband while he is absent from town and receives a harsh punishment for her behavior already. Hester is forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her bosom for the rest of her life. It is now on debate on whether or not Pearl should be taken away from her mother’s guidance. This is due to the fact that she is a sinner and might not be a qualified mother for her child.It is true, that no matter what you did in the past, a child is a blessing and parents change due to the love they have for their children. Therefore, 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 citizens of Boston know that Hester is married and her husband isn 't living with her. Therefore, when she becomes pregnant, she is arrested for adultery, a grave sin in their Puritan society. Consequently Hester is punished with jail time and made to wear a scarlet letter A for the rest of her life, meaning adulterer. These punishments make her life as a single mother even more difficult. Suddenly, Hester is disliked and ridiculed by everyone in the town. People look down on Hester to make themselves seem better than her. In chapter two, several women gossip about Hester. "This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die; Is there not law for it? Truly there is, both in the Scripture and the statute- book" (Hawthorne 78).  The women are calling for an even harsher punishment than the scarlet letter. They want Hester to be executed. As well as being ostracized by the entire community, Hester must endure living in a patriarchal society. Hester has no choice but to adapt to the adversity she faces. To avoid some of the daily persecution she faces, Hester moves to the outskirts of town, where she learns to tend a garden to grow food for her daughter Pearl and herself. This is a clear example of acquiring a skill, because talent and hard work are needed to grow a garden. She also learns to sew, and earns money by crafting beautiful articles of fabric for people in Boston. Hester also applies her free time to crafting clothes for the

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

Hester continues to face conflict, this time with herself. When Hester faces the reality of the unpleasant situation she is faced with, her self conflict begins. Hester’s feelings are expressed when it is stated, “She clutched the child so fiercely to her breast that it sent forth a cry; she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself the infant and the shame were real” (52). Conflict within Hester’s life continues in mothering her curious child. Pearl’s curiosity is revealed when she asks, ‘ “. . . Mother dear, what does this scarlet letter mean? –and why dost thou wear it on thy bosom?” ’ (161). Hester feels the responsibility of protecting Pearl from knowing her mother’s sinful actions. The constant questioning puts Hester in a contradictory position. Mothering Pearl causes conflict a second time when Pearl is considered an outcast from other

Hester states that “She (Pearl) is a splendid child” (185)!2. What has Hester done to become estranged to Pearl? She took off

Hester was thrown in jail and left by Pearl’s father and all her friends. Pearl is the only child Hester has, and will have, and she needs to do right by her. To quote her directly: “This badge hath taught me, it daily teaches me, it is teaching me at this moment, lessons whereof my child might be the wiser and better for

“…See ye not, she is the scarlet letter only capable of being loved, and so endowed with a million-fold the power of retribution for my sin?” (Hawthorne 103). Hester was so confident that God had given her Pearl as a punishment. Ever since she was born the first thing she noticed about her mother was the scarlet letter, and from that day on she would not let her mother forget it. Even when Hester removed the scarlet letter from her bosom, Pearl would not come to her until she put it back on.

Within Chapter Seven, Hester makes a poor choice in sending Pearl to the Governor's hall dressed in a red and gold dress. This only defies the Governor and proves why they should be outcasts. Through Pearl’s clothing, Hester may be trying to say that Pearl is her daughter and no matter what he does she will always be a child of sin. It may also symbolize her bold personality never dying. In the end of this Chapter, Hester is aware of the image she is creating for Pearl but, is unsure if that is the life she wants for her daughter as pondered, “feel as if it could not be the image of her own child.”(p.97)

At the scene of Hester’s public shaming, Hawthorne describes Hester’s punishment as vicious and demoralizing. By comparing society’s treatment of Hester to “stings and venomous stabs,” Hawthorne dramatizes the effects of the public shaming on not only Hester’s physical self, but also her mental one. The town’s hurtful actions are meant to torment Hester, and shun her for going against a societal norm. The townspeople’s actions can be described as methodical, since they are all lead astray their own idea of moral righteousness by the imposed common norm that a sinner must be severely punished. Hawthorne conveys to the reader that the punishers and their followers have a utopian idea of society, which is bound to be defied by those, such as Hester, but unlike Dimmesdale, who are unwilling to face torturous punishment to accept the fact that human sin is inevitable.

Pearl’s personality described as intelligent, imaginative, and determined. In chapter 6 of the scarlet letter it best describes pearl, “That little creature, whose innocent life had sprung, by the inscrutable decree of Providence, a lovely and immortal flower, out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty passion.” She was known by the people as an act of sin but to her mother, Hester Prynne, she was her hope and joy, but also the reminder of Hester’s passion and adulterous act. Pearl is both Hester’s salvation and punishment. She also presses Dimmesdale, Her father, to come to grips with the sin that he had committed and to humble himself in front of all the townspeople and to take the place on the scaffold.

Hester has never met their standards by looking different and acting different too. In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts Hester's struggle to be an individual through her attempts to repent for her her sin, the transformation of the meaning of the letter "A", and, how Pearl is her torture and also her blessing. Hester assimilates to her Puritan beliefs by urging herself to repent for her sin, even if it is through her suffering. Hester has committed the sin of adultery.