What Does Pearl's Clothing Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter

However, Hester does not see Pearl as a burden, but yet a blessing. She cares for Pearl with all the love in her heart. “Her own dress was of the coarsest materials and the most somber hue; with only that one ornament,—the scarlet letter,—which it was her doom to wear. The child's attire, on the other hand, was distinguished by a fanciful, or, we may rather say, a fantastic ingenuity, which served, indeed, to heighten the airy charm that early began to develop itself in the little girl.”(Hawthorne 57). Hester’s wardrobe is downgraded so that Pearls can prosper, human nature enables Hester to become selfless for Pearl. Hester was seen as the antagonist during the opening chapters of the book, but as more light is shown on the character, it is seen that Hawthorne’s view of the natural good emulates through Hester.

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

This ridicule has a trickle down effect on Hester as she too is banished from her own community for committing adultery. The comparison between Hester and Hawthorne defines the external struggle for the reader to fully understand the effect of opinions from society on them Although reluctant to allow Hester to leave prison, the members of the town suggest that her punishment be to wear a scarlet red letter A on her bosom, thereby allowing all to know of her crime. The scarlet letter “ was red-hot with infernal fire, ” (Hawthorne 81) and defined the state she was currently in, that being eternal hell. Though she was forced to marry an older man at a young age, her rebellion to have an affair is not seen as an internal struggle that she overcame; rather, it is merely seen as a woman who sinned, a woman who shall therefore endure the punishment for the sin, rather than a woman who was never given a say in what she wanted with her life. Time and again, Hester Prynne is seen defying society by allowing herself to stand out from societal norm just as the roses “with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner“ (Hawthorne) did. Instead, she returns to the community and is observed aiding those in need, all with seven year old Pearl by her side.

In spite of that, what makes her the protagonist of the story is how she is able to overcome her punishment that was meant to give her shame. Throughout Chapter 13 of the book, Hawthorne shows how Hester’s confidence has developed in herself and in view of the town, most noticeably when considering the meaning of the scarlet letter, “Such helpfulness was found in her ... that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength,” (Hawthorne 107). Instead of subjecting to the shame that was forced upon her, she grew above it, conveying a different aspect of the theme of guilt, which is redemption. This is not to say that Hester did not care about the sin she committed, as she is very much reminded of it every day of her life while living with the child of that sin. In fact, the author addresses this by saying, “In giving her existence a great law had been broken; and the result was a being whose elements were perhaps beautiful and brilliant, but all in disorder,” (Hawthorne 60). Hawthorne is implying how Pearl represents the outcome of a sin and arranged it so that Hester is always living with that sin, therefore, always being reminded of the shame she is supposed to

In passage 1, the Hawthorne employs an allusion when he explains that Hester names her child Pearl because “Hester purchased her with all she had.” This is a reference to the bible when Jesus calls heaven a “pearl of great price” and declares that when someone comes across a pearl, he shall sell all he has to buy it. The author includes this allusion to convey how important Pearl is to Hester and to connect the meaning of Pearl’s name to religion, for religion presides over all in Puritan society. Hawthorne also uses exclamations to show how valuable Pearl is to her mother. But, at the same time, he points out that Pearl is Hester’s source of shame and torture. The function of the child parallels the function of the scarlet letter. They are both a reminder of Hester’s wrongdoing but become a huge part of her identity that she cannot live without. Hawthorne creates a sense of situational irony when he introduces the idea that in creating Pearl, Hester loses everything, her pride, her reputation and her social life, but at the same time she gains

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

It was meant, doubtless, for a retribution too, a torture to be felt at many an unthought of moment; a pang, as sting, an ever-recurring agony in the midst of a troubled joy" (Hawthorne 105). Pearl was a blessing to her mother, the shame that was casted down upon Hester made her create a better life for herself and Pearl. Pearl bettered Hester as a character because Hester made decisions throughout the book in which she had to take Pearl into consideration. Although Hester is shamed by having evidence of her guiltful sin present, it made Hester change positivity throughout the novel. "She is my happiness!

In a way, the strain between Hester and the community is identical as that of the tension between Pearl and the town’s children. The only difference is that Hester does not exhibit the “enmity and passion” that Pearl had inherited from Hester, as it had been “soothed away by the softening influences of maternity” (84-85). Therefore, Pearl is not afraid to handle conflicts with an unwise passion, in contrast with Hester’s tactful encounters with the people. Pearl and the children do not get along much in the way that Hester and the townspeople do not get along. The most prominent example Hawthorne has given us thus far is when the children of the town throw mud at Hester and Pearl.

Thou art no Pearl of mine! Said the mother half playfully; for it was often the case that a sportive impulse came over her, in the midst of her deepest suffering, Tell me, then, what thou art, and who sent you here?” Hester's candid and slightly callous tone shows her characters overwhelming and doubting feelings towards Pearl. Having this tone enables the reader to comprehend the troubles Hester is going through. Those troubles being, raising an elvish-child alone and in exile while dealing with the multitudes of her sin. Using imagery and tone Hawthorne was successful in developing (in particular) the characterization of Hester and showing how her intuitive mind attempts to overcome sin.

She makes it known that she does not need a man to survive in the world. Instead of letting her offense get in the way, Hester changes the meaning of the letter A from meaning something bad and shameful to “Able”(141); it makes her strong “with a woman’s strength”(141). At the end of the novel, Dimmsdale calls her and Pearl onto the scaffold and reveals that he is Pearl’s father. Hester is finally accepted in society at the end of the novel as a counselor to women who “[demanded] why they were so wretched, and what the remedy [was]”(227), but instead of discarding the Scarlet Letter, she keeps it fastened to her bosom, and it is seen as a something “to be sorrowed over”(227) and “looked upon with

But in the beginning of the novel, Hester was a strong woman, but because of the public shame she endured and the everyday confrontation of a judgmental community, her perspective of life was change. (quote) she took the shameful sign to something he thought of as good or with pride. We can also see that she is a rebel because she refuses to give the ministers the father of the baby. But, as we go further into the novel, Hester loses all self esteem and lets herself fall by the shame and hate of the people (quote and quote relevance) But when Pearl is born it gives Hester a little bit of hope because maybe the product of her sin (Pearl) might “not be a punishment like men described but a blessing” (Hawthorne 74)

In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne builds Pearl as a character of duality, both in her personality and in the role she plays in Hester’s life. Pearl’s conflicting personality components of 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

“She had dark and abundant hair, so glossy that it threw off sunshine with a gleam. Her face was beautiful from regularity of feature and richness of complexion” he writes, in contrast to the townspeople, which he describes as “dark, and gloomy”. It is evident that the scarlet letter on Hester’s chest determines how she is treated during those years and here, he creates a sympathy with the readers for Hester, and Pearl, and their lives onward. Though Hester still remains in the town, even when given the opportunity to leave if wanted, she remains strong for Pearl and their overall welfare. The townspeople still avoid her and don’t talk to her due to the letter on her chest.

Hester’s battle with herself can only be understood by taking a glimpse into her daily life with her beloved daughter, Pearl. Pearl is the physical manifestation of her sin, of the adultery that Hester committed with her secret lover; with every waking hour, Pearl is always alongside Hester, constantly reminding Hester of her transgression. Whenever Hester sees Pearl, she sees a young and energetic girl, who also possesses the same attributes that she loathes about herself, the difficult and wild side of herself that would never give up. Hawthorne writes that Pearl, “lacked reference and adaptation to the world into which she was born. [Pearl] could not be made amenable to rules” (Hawthorne

‘The Scarlet letter’ is meant to be a symbol of shame for Hester, and instead it becomes a symbol of identity. As Hester’s character develops the Letter ‘matures” along side her . As it ages, it shifts from meaning “Adulterer” to stand for “ Able”.. Hester bonds to the letter as much as she bonds to little Pearl, by choosing to keep them both. She could have given Pearl to the minister and she could have fled New England and left the letter far behind her and moved on with her life, instead she chooses to embrace her punishments. The letter is almost insignificant beside Pearl as a symbol of the sinful act commited by Hester, and helps to point out the meaninglessness of the community’s system of judgment and punishment. The ineffectiveness of this course of action is reinforced in chapter seven “...and the bond-servant, perhaps judging from the decision of her air and the glittering symbol in her bosom, that she was a great lady in the land, offered no opposition.”