Parent In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

Everyone has one if not two. What makes a "good" parent? Is there a specific type of person that can become a parent? Some may argue that there is a specific type of person, which is partially true. There are certain traits a parent should have, but there is not necessarily a specific type of person who can be a parent. In the novel The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850, it is suggested that Hester Prynne, who had an affair with Reverend Dimmesdale, is not fit to raise her daughter Pearl who was born from this scandal. Although the Reverend and Roger Chillingworth are both reputable in society they do not have love, know Pearl, or are mentally strong and therefore Hester who encompasses all these traits would be the best

She loves her because she knows Pearl is hers; she knows God gave her Pearl for a reason. A sentence to prove this is, "God gave her the child, and gave her, too, an instinctive knowledge of its nature and requirements..." (Hawthorne 104). This quote restates the fact that God gave Pearl to Hester and Hester alone. It also says how only Hester knows how to control and teach Pearl. This means Hester understands her because one has to understand a person to be able to teach him or her. In contrast, Chillingworth and Dimmesdale do not cherish Pearl or comprehend her. Dimmesdale does not even want people to be able to recognize Pearl as his daughter (Hawthorne 186). As a result, he would not show any more affection to her than a stranger would. This amount of love is not adequate enough for a child to receive from a parent. Also, he does not truly understand Pearl because of this distance he keeps. Chillingworth, on the other hand, does show

Hester is able to repair herself; she bandages the patches of rejection and hate she earns from her affair. She becomes independent, and supportive of herself (Hawthorne 148). While raising a kid, one has to be mentally stable because the task is excruciating and demanding. Contrary to Hester, Dimmesdale is spiritually confused because of the affair (Hawthorne 180). He is in an internal conflict with his ego. This results in his mentally instability. Likewise, Chillingworth became lost in a wrathful quest for vengeance. He let the affair enrage him (Hawthorne 70). This leads to him being in a psychotic state of mind where he manipulates Dimmesdale's conscience (Hawthorne 155). Chillingworth's mind is broken and unfocused because of this. In conclusion, the Reverend and Chillingworth are both mentally unfit to raise Pearl, but Hester is mentally sound making her the best candidate as Pearl's