Pearl In The Scarlett Letter

Pearl is an uncontrollable little girl who has behavioral issues and acts similar to a demon child. It seems nearly impossible for her mother to control her. Like the A on Hester’s chest, Hester cannot just pluck Pearl out of her life. After all, it is Hester’s sin that causes her to wear the A, which also stands for adulterer. When Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale meet in the woods, Hester attempts to rid her own life of the A by tearing it off. Pearl perceives this act as Hester trying to get rid of her only daughter. Pearl does not accept her mother’s abandonment and demands Hester to put the letter back on her chest. Because Hester’s letter remains on her chest, Pearl will always dwell in her mother’s life. When Hester finally places the A

As a punishment for committing adultery, Hester must wear the A until the court says she does not have to wear it any more. In addition, Hester, as a single parent, must raise Pearl until she grows up. When Hester gives birth to Pearl, the first thing Pearl noticed about her mother is the A. It physically tortures Hester to have to look at Pearl everyday, and think about her sin. Together Pearl and the A are constant reminders that she will never escape her past mistake. Furthermore, Pearl and the A are similar because of the lives that they affect throughout the novel. Since Dimmesdale feels guilty for having relations with Hester and then not claiming Pearl as his own child, he physically tortures himself. Notably, he carves the letter A on his chest. Since the Puritan Society would outcast him for this mistake, he does not wear the letter on his clothing like Hester. Also, he does not affiliate himself in Public with Pearl. This upsets Pearl because she will never be able to have a father unless Dimmesdale puts the A on his chest and shows the town that Pearl is his

She never makes friends of her own, and has a challenging time playing with other children. She treats nature as her only friend and in return, nature befriends her. Hawthorne writes, “The great black forest… became the playmate of the lonely infant …” (140). In nature Pearl occupies herself for hours on end while her mother is busy. For example, Pearl plays in the water while her mother talks to Chillingworth by the sea. Because it is impossible for nature to play with Pearl, she plays with herself. Nature is just a symbol for Pearl and her loneliness as a youth. In similar ways, Pearl and nature are the same because of the way that the animals treat her. Again, the reader can see that the animals treat Pearl better than people do sometimes. This is because animals are a part of nature, and Pearl and nature have a unique bond. For example, “A wolf … came up and smelt Pearl’s robe, and offered his savage head to be patted by her hand” (140). Finally, the similarities between Pearl and the forest show that nature can be a symbol for Pearl. Hawthorne portrays Pearl an innocent child who symbolizes moral freedom. She is not destined to commit the same sins as her mother. It is Pearl’s pwn choice to choose if she wants to act the same way as Hester, or learn from Hester’s mistakes. Comparable to Pearl, the forest symbolizes a moral freedom. People can go in the woods to do bad things. For instance, Mistress Hibbins invites Hester into the