What Does Pearl Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter

Pearl: The Good and Dark Side In the book The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there is a woman that commits adultery. That brings a child into this world by the name of Pearl which is mysterious right up to the end of the book. Her mother is Hester Prynne and her Father remains a mystery until near the end where it is revealed it is Reverend Dimmesdale. Her mother is forced to wear the Scarlet "A" on her chest because of the acts that she committed which intrigues Pearl. There are many symbols through the book which represents pearl: the seaweed "A" and the red roses. There are symbols that represent the good side of Pearl and others which represent the veil of her mother and what Pearl could become. Could Pearl become her mother, or will she devote her life to becoming better

Pearl is the symbol of the Scarlet "A" that Hester had to wear because she was the direct result of Hester's Adultery. Through the book, Pearl is used to remind Hester of her past transgressions, of her old life, and of her sin, which causes her shame. Hester rips off the Scarlet "A" in chapter 18 because of her shame, and in chapter 19, Hester calls to Pearl saying, "Come dearest child...,"(Pg. 190) but Pearl does not respond because she does not recognize her mother without the "A" on her chest. This symbolizes how she has known her mother my the "A" showing that even Hester's own daughter has only known her by the Adultery she has committed. In chapter 23, Dimmesdale reveals himself as Pearls father and thereby Hester's "husband," but dies shortly after revealing that information. He ascends the scaffolding and tells his wrong doing and reveals an "A" carved into his chest. The crowd