Pearl

In The Scarlet Letter, Pearl is often regarded as a symbol of the suffering of Hester Prynne and the shamed Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, but Pearls significance is more than just symbolizing the sin committed by her parents. She in many ways represents the innocence that the puritan belief regressed itself not to have. Hawthorne constructs Pearl as an evolving symbol for Hester and Dimmsdale and her progression as a character is shown through that of the actions set forth by these characters. Since the inception of the act of adultery by Hester and Dimmesdale, Pearl is developed by sin, but she is not conformed to sin. As a result Pearl symbolizes a release of sin. She is essentially the road from childhood to adulthood, innocence to innocence lost to finally accepting the card that we are all delved with, and that’s life after sin.

Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote the fictional story of Hester Prynne and her public humiliation as she is forced to wear the letter “A” on her chest due to her giving birth to an illegitimate child. The scarlet letter “A” stands for many things in the book, but the initial meaning is that of adultery. The baby is Pearl and the name is given to her because she is worth so much to Prynne as in “her mother’s only treasure!” The beginning of the story sets the stage for what Prynne and Pearl will go through, it also sets up the state of a puritan utopia. The scarlet letter is given to Hester as a symbol of shame, yet Hester wears it with pride. The town frowned upon her due to her flashy manner of wearing the letter, but in reality, Hester wasn’t proud; the letter had become a part of her identity. She had accepted her sin as she accepts Pearl; she accepts her current state of mind. Pearl for the most part is r...

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...ritan doctrine holds them back to fully forgiving her. In many ways Hester’s trials and tribulations correlate with them changing and understanding what Pearl symbolizes. Hester starts to doubt her reasons of living and begins to feel that Pearl might be better off going to heaven, with her. Although her murder-suicide did not happen, it does allude to the situation getting to her. She doesn’t know what to trust or believe. She starts questioning her reasons of keeping the scarlet letter and with society changing their views on her, going as far as to proclaiming the “A” meant “able”. In many ways their change can be connected to as far as Governor Winthrop death, a sign that the old ways were done and the door is open for the new. Pearl fits that description, as she has been going through the rough times with Hester but she is raised not understanding Puritan law.