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What Does Pearl Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter

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Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter describes the life of Hester Prynne after she is convicted of adultery, and the ensuing scorn and ostracism she receives from the Puritan society she lives in. If the focus of the novel is Hester’s struggle against a suppressive society, why did Hawthorne include the addition of Hester’s illegitimate daughter, Pearl? The Scarlet Letter is a novel full of symbolism, but none is more significant than Pearl. Throughout the story, Pearl serves as a constant reminder of Hester’s passionate nature, her adulterous act, and Dimmesdale’s inner turmoil. Hester realizes this herself from the beginning. Hester recognizes what Pearl represents from one of the first scenes in the novel. As Hester stands on the scaffold for the first time to receive her punishment, she resists the impulse to hold three-month-old Pearl in front of the newly received scarlet letter discerning that “one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another.” Later, as Pearl grows into wild and uncontrollable child, Hester again understands the …show more content…

Pearl instinctively reaches for the scarlet “A” for comfort in her infant years, and it is one of the first things Pearl is aware of. She refuses to recognize her mother when Hester removes the letter and her cap in the forest and “bursts into a fit of passion” until Hester replaces them. Even Pearl’s physical appearance is practically identical to the embroidered scarlet letter. Hester dresses her in outfits of red and gold and embroiders them “with fancies and flourishes of gold thread.” Such attire was strongly condemned by Puritan society, yet Hester dresses her the same even when she must plead with the governor to retain custody of Pearl. She allows “the gorgeous tendencies of her imagination full play.” In this way, Pearl as much represents Hester’s conflict with society as she represents Dimmesdale’s turmoil with

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570 Words | 3 Pages

Despite her success she continues to feel lonely and is well aware of her alienation. Hester’s alienation is similar to that of Pearls because they are both described as outcasts and treated as such. Pearl is naturally at odds with the strict rules of their society, mainly because of all the time she spends with Hester, she has inherited all of

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907 Words | 4 Pages

She is responsible for all of the hate that is portrayed upon Hester. However, what pearl represents to Hester, is her wild side, how she can be herself and not care about what the town thinks. In chapter 14 Hester and Pearl are at the beach, “Hester bade little Pearl run down to the margin of the water,and play with the shells and tangles sea-weed, until she should have talked awhile with yonder gatherer of herbs. So the child flew away like a bird, and, making bare her small white feet, went pattering along the moist margin of the sea...the image of a little maid, whom Pearl, having no other playmate, invited to take her hand, and run a race with her. ”(154) Pearl is happy and free and influences Hester be the same way.

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465 Words | 2 Pages

The townspeople often despised Pearl, due to her being a representation of her mother's sin. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne describes Pearl as being a real life image as adultery. Hester is constantly reminded of her sin, just by seeing and raising Pearl everyday. Though Hester is reminded about her sin, she takes on the task of being a mother of Pearl. Hester loved Pearl, even though she had to go through a lot to keep her.

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581 Words | 3 Pages

In the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Pearl starts of as a secondary character as the novel progresses Pearl becomes significant to many of the key events of the story. Some examples of this are the scene in the scaffold at night, when Hester meets Dimmsdale in the woods, and when she makes the connection about the letter in her mother's bosom and the reason why the minister holds his hand on his chest. Pearl is a very intuitive, smart, wild and clever child; and at her young age is impressive how this child knows who to trust. She is acts as Hester's conscience as the novel progresses in many ways. Pearl is a very intuitive character making her more interesting.

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849 Words | 4 Pages

One of the most multifaceted, elaborate, and symbolic characters in The Scarlet Letter is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Although she is fairly young during the majority of this novel, she possesses the unique ability to provoke the adult characters in the book. She asks them pointed questions and draws their attention to the repudiated or disregarded truths of the adult world. This typically would be unusual behavior for a child her age, but she continually acts abnormal throughout the majority of The Scarlet Letter. Her symbolism catches the attention of the reader and characters as well.

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801 Words | 4 Pages

Though Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter two hundred years after the Puritan era, an insight into their community is still seen. Though some characters embody the Puritan era, others are the opposite. Pearl’s strong bond with nature connects her to Romanticism and individualistic spirit disconnects her from Puritanism, and Hester, like her daughter, does not reflect the Puritan era through her indulgence in clothing and emotional characteristics. Pearl’s bond with nature connects her to Romanticism. Pearl’s connection with nature is demonstrated when she is described to be as wild as a bird (Hawthorne 139).

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1051 Words | 5 Pages

“Again, as if her mother’s agonized gesture were meant only to make sport for her, did little Pearl look into her eyes, and smile!” (p 82). Pearl herself being the product of sin, is a constant reminder to her mother that the scarlet letter cannot be neglected. Hawthorne shows this symbolism various times throughout the story. In Chapter two, during the first scaffold scene when Hester tries to hide away her scarlet letter with Pearl, Hawthorne indicates how useless that would be, considering that Pearl is the personification of her sin.

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502 Words | 3 Pages

While reading The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, it is obvious that he uses a lot of symbolism throughout his writing to give the readers a deeper understanding of the Puritans and their views in these times. In this book, the community forces Hester Prynne to wear a scarlet letter on her chest to show her abashment for committing adultery and having a child, Pearl. However, Pearl is actually used as a symbol throughout this book to represent the physical embodiment of Hester’s sin, the repercussions of her breaking the law, and an unworldly being in the usual strict Puritan society. In the beginning of the book, Hawthorne uses Pearl as a way to constantly remind Hester of her sin and as a link between the secret relationship of Hester

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471 Words | 2 Pages

Not the wealth that is all money and riches, but wealthy in a way where she has all that she needs in life as long as she has Pearl. Pearl is a symbol of her Mother's red letter, she represents Hester's sin and shame, but also all of the wealth she needs. Hester dresses her in scarlet as a constant reminder of what she did, but also all the good that has come from having Pearl in her life. With the fate of Pearl unknown, the reader does not know for certain whether the work is sorrowful or

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562 Words | 3 Pages

Pearl is the living embodiment of of the scarlet letter. Pearl constantly reminds Hester of her sins, without meaning to. Whenever she asks questions about Dimmesdale or about the scarlet letter, Hester is reminded of the things she did wrong. Pearl is very smart child, and she likes to ask questions and learn about things. If she sees something that confuses her, she will ask her mother about it.

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748 Words | 3 Pages

This child is not meant to be a realistic character but rather a symbol of Hester’s sin, blessing and scarlet letter. Pearl is the scarlet letter, a blessing and curse, and the love and passion of a dangerous relationship. More than a child Pearl is a symbol of the love and passion between Hester and the minister. Pearl is a symbol that connect her parents forever even if they couldn’t be together. The narrator says, “God, as a direct consequence of the sin which man thus punished, had given her a lovely child, whose place was on that same dishonoured bosom, to connect her parent forever with the race and descent of mortals, and to be finally a blessed soul in heaven!”(86)

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209 Words | 1 Pages

Practices, behaviors, conducts, or traditions, it does not matter which noun one uses, they all have pretty much the same meaning. Traditions is pretty much keeping common rituals or a way of life as time goes by. Christmas, is the tradition of celebrating the birthday of Jesus Christ, and Easter, is the tradition of celebrating when He rose from the grave. Independence Day, on the four of July is the tradition of setting off firework in celebration of America’s birthday.

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744 Words | 3 Pages

It is quite obvious in Nathaniel Hawthorne 's The Scarlet Letter that Pearl, Hester Prynne 's daughter, plays a major role. Not only is she one of the main characters, but she is prevalent theme in the novel, as well. Pearl is not written like a regular character. Most of the other symbols in the story, such as the scarlet letter or the rose bush, lead back to Pearl. Pearl takes on many symbols and serves great purpose.

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705 Words | 3 Pages

Pearl is a symbol of the scarlet letter. She was born due to adultery, which is the same reason as to why Hester wears the scarlet letter A. In chapter 7, Pearl is coincidentally put into a red tunic, “...arraying her in a crimson velvet tunic … and flourishes of gold-thread” (Hawthorne 92), which makes Hester realize that she is the human version of the scarlet letter. By Hester realizing this, it shows to the reader that Pearl can be a “sin” and a “blessing” all at the same time.

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509 Words | 3 Pages

“Pearl took some eelgrass, and … imitated, on her own bosom, the decoration… on her mother’s : A letter “A”, but freshly green, instead of scarlet!”, a quote pulled from Chapter 15, is another attempt by Hawthorne to convey the contrasting ideal of Pearl’s innocence and purity to Hester’s sin. The green of this imitated scarlet letter worn by Pearl is associated with nature and purity, while the scarlet of Hester’s original letter is typically associated with passion and

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