The Symbol of Pearl
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's, The Scarlet Letter, Pearl, is the human symbol of the sin of adultery in the fact that she leads her mother, Hester Prynne, and Arthur Dimmesdale to accept and admit to their sin. Pearl is the beautiful daughter of Hester and Dimmesdale. She is the living symbol of the scarlet letter and has unique traits that make her sometimes appear as a demon. Her love for nature and freedom, her spirit, her wildness, her loneliness and separation from the world, her curiosity, and her innocent but symbolic comments reveal her distinct personality. Pearl senses and knows things she should not, making her a symbol. Pearl is also the living symbol of Hester and Dimmesdale's connection, as displayed in the following passage.
"In her was visible the tie that united them. She had been offered to the world, these seven years past, as the living hieroglyphic, in which was revealed the secret they so darkly sought to hide, -- all written in this symbol, -- all plainly manifest, -- had there been a prophet or magician skilled to read the character of flame! And Pearl was the oneness of their being"(Hawthorne 141). Pearl is a beautiful, misbehaved child. The first thing that Pearl ever notices is her mother's 'A' across her chest. As a child, Pearl throws rocks at the scarlet letter, making a game out it. Growing up, Pearl is not accepted by anyone. She screams at other children, knowing that they do not accept her. Not knowing what a true friend is, she makes imaginary enemies to fight with. In The Scarlet Letter, Pearl is referred to as "one of those naughty elfs or fairies or...a little bird of scarlet plumage" (Hawthorne 97). The comparison of Pearl to an elf or fairies adds a sense of alienation and mystery to her personality. When she is compared to a red bird, the emphasis of color increases the visual sense of Pearl's character, and the comparison to a bird indicates that she is full of wild energy. (Chiquita)
Initially Pearl symbolizes the shame of Hester's public punishment for adultery. Then as Pearl grew older, she symbolizes the wreck of Hester's life and mental state by harassing her mother over the scarlet 'A' which is embroidered on her dress (Yang). Pearl is a symbol for Hester's scarlet letter.
Pearl has spent her entire life knowing who her mother is and identifies her with and only with the letter on. “Pearl’s image, crowned, and girdled with flowers, but stamping its foot, wildly gesticulating, and in the midst of all, still pointing its small forefinger at Hester’s bosom!” (Hawthorne 173). In this scene, Hester takes the letter off when she is with Dimmesdale, and Pearl refuses to come near her until she puts the letter back on; she recognizes that the letter is a part of who her mother is. The identity of herself is also uncovered as a result of the letter. Pearl sees how the Puritan society treats her mother and refuses to act likewise. Not only does she stand up to those who judge Hester, but she also practices being kind instead. “Pearl was almost sure, [the bird] had been hit by a pebble and fluttered away with a broken wing. But then the elf-child sighed, and gave up her sport; because it grieved her to have done harm to a little being that was as wild as the sea-breeze, or as wild as Pearl herself” (Hawthorne 147). Pearl cares for the wellbeing of those around her, both human and animal. This has shaped who she is through her kindness and her intelligence; it becomes what her identity is and displays how she identifies her mother, verifying that she was impacted the most by the scarlet
Pearl is a symbol of Hester’s transgressions and even has similar qualities as the sin which she represents. Pearl’s life and behavior directly reflects the unacceptable and abnormal nature of Hester’s adulterous sin. Hester is plagued with more than just a letter “A”; she is given a child from her affair who is just as much a reminder of her sin as the scarlet letter. Ultimately Hester overcomes the shame associated the scarlet letter and creates a sense of family for herself and Pearl. This relationship is integral to the theme of this novel and the development of its characters.
Pearl is first introduced as the young babe clutched to Hester's chest, as she stands before a crowd of puritans beholding her humiliation. Embarrassed of the glaring letter on her chest, Hester thinks to hold little Pearl in front of her scarlet mark; however, she resolves that “one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another” (P.37). It is here that we see for the first time that Pearl has been reduced to nothing more than a symbol of Hester's sin, synonymous with the scarlet letter. As Pearl grows, so does the obvious nature with which Hawthorne portrays her as the scarlet letter. Throughout the book, we see Pearl dressed in bright clothes,
From the moment she is born in the cold, heartless prison, Pearl is placed under scrutiny. The townspeople see her as a visible reminder of sin, and it isn't long until even her own mother searches for evil in her. The girl is described as "the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life!"(Hawthorne 103). With her fascination from an early age with the scarlet letter, Hester believes that Pearl's very reason for existence is to torment her mother. Hester fails to realize that the letter is just something bright and significant to which Pearl reacts; instead, she sees every glance, every word aimed at the letter, every touch of Pearl's tiny fingers to her bosom as an added torture resulting from her adultery. Hester, considering Pearl's very existence, goes so far as to question if the impish child is even her own. "Thou art not my child! Thou art no Pearl of mine!"(Hawthorne 99) she tells Pearl, only half-jokingly. In her own way, she wonders whether Pearl was sent to her by God or by a demon wishing to cause her pain. She is not alone in this speculation; many of the town's citizens believe there is something of the Devil in Pearl.
Through the use of numerous symbols, Nathanial Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter serves as an allegory for the story of Adam and Eve and its relation to sin, knowledge, and the human condition that is present in human society. Curious for the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, which resulted in the revelation of their “humanness” and expulsion from the “divine garden” as they then suffered the pain and joy of being humans. Just as Adam and Eve were expelled from their society and suffered in their own being, so were Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter. Hester was out casted and shunned, while Dimmesdale suffered under his own guilt. After knowledge of her affair is made known, Hester is forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her chest to symbolize her crime of adultery, and is separated from the Puritan society. Another “A” appears in the story, and is not embroidered, but instead scarred on Dimmesdale’s chest as a symbol of guilt and suffering. Hester’s symbol of guilt comes in the form of her daughter, Pearl, who is the manifestation of her adultery, and also the living version of her scarlet letter. Each of these symbols come together to represent that with sin comes personal growth and advancement of oneself in society as the sinner endures the good and bad consequences.
This, as Arthur Dimmesdale almost prophetically expresses in the early scenes of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, was the role of Pearl, the elfish child borne of his and Hester Prynne's guilty passion. Like Paul's thorn in the flesh, Pearl would bring trouble, heartache, and frustration to Hester, but serve a constructive purpose lying far beyond the daily provocations of her childish impishness. While in many respects a tormentor to Hester, Pearl was also her savior, while a reminder of her guilt, a promoter of honesty and true Virtue; and while an embodiment of Hester's worst qualities, a vision of a better life for Hester and for herself.
Impetigo is a bacterial skin infection characterized by the eruptions of superficial pustules and formation of thick yellow crusty sores. It is highly contagious and can occur anywhere on the body, especially in exposed areas. The two different types of Impetigo are Bullous Impetigo, which are large blisters, and Non-Bullous Impetigo, which are crusted over blisters. Non-Bullous Impetigo is the most common type. Both types require contact precautions because they can be transmitted via physical contact with anyone who has it, sharing the same clothes, bedding, towels, etc... Because of the way young children proceed with their lifestyles, touching everything within their reach, the primary age groups targeted with this infection are, in fact, young children. It is most common on their facial area, mainly around their noses and mouths, but sometimes impetigo will appear on their arms and legs.
Symbolism plays an important role in the Scarlet Letter. The scarlet "A" is used to represent sin and anguish along with happiness. The "A" has different meanings to people other than what was originally intended. The scaffold is used as a place of repentance and judgment by God. Pearl is another major symbol used as a reminder of the scarlet letter.
In light of what is going on in the world today, eating disorders seem farfetched and frivolous. Anorexia Nervosa could be considered a classic example of a serious eating disorder as it is defined as having a fatal a...
In The Scarlet Letter, symbolism in the symbolism in this novel plays a large part in the novel, in the scarlet letter “A” as a symbol of sin and then it gradually changes its meaning, guiltiness is symbolic in the novel, and of course the living evidence of the adulterous act, Pearl. The actions of Pearl, Dimmesdale and fate all return the letter of Hester. They give Hester the responsibilities of a sinner, but also the possibility to reconcile with her community, Dimmesdale and the chance to clean her reputation.
Voluntary self-starvation, anorexia nervosa, is physically and psychologically dangerous. Loss of the body fat from the severe weight loss can impair the body by putting stress on the bones from lack of calcium. Dehydration can be deadly because the body needs the correct water balance, and without this proper balance, the kidneys can shut down. Malnutrition can lead to brain damage. Amenorrhea can cause infertility and put stress on tiny bones making them prone to breakage. Amenorrhea can also produce an interference of the reproductive hormone that protects the body against heart failure and osteoporosis. Severe depression in anorexics occurs from hopelessness and shame and can lead to suicide. Even though the behavioral, nutritional, cognitive, interpersonal, and psychotherapy treatment for anorexia is a long-term process, it is crucial to the anorexic person to receive treatment, or the physical consequences and psychological consequences can lead to permanent damage and sometimes death. Notable research on the treatment of the anorexic continues worldwide.
Pearl and the other Puritan children have a huge role in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Pearl is displayed as very different from any of the other children in the book. The attitudes of the children tell the reader a lot about the lives of the Puritans. The story emphasizes that children were to be seen but not heard however, Hester chooses to let Pearl live a full and exciting life. Hester does not restrict pearl or hide her from anyone or anything. This is part of the reason that Pearl becomes such a colorful child. People see Pearl as a child of sin; the devil’s child. Pearl is quite the opposite. She is a happy and intelligent little girl. Pearl is born with an incredible sense of intuition. She sees the pain her mother feels but does not understand where the pain is coming from. Pearl knows somehow deep in her heart that Dimmesdale is her father. She takes a very strong liking to him. This makes it much harder on dimmesdale to work through the guilt seeing what a beautiful thing came from his terrible secret. Pearl serves as a blessing to and a curse to Hester. Hester Prynne loves her daughter dearly but she is a constant reminder of the mistakes she has made.
According to Ruth Craven, Constance Hirnle, and Sharon Jensen in Fundamentals of Nursing Human Health and Function a restraint is used to stop a patient from being able to move freely, whether it be physically or assisted with medication. Types of restraints include physical, chemical, nonviolent/self-destructive, violent/self-destructive, and seclusion. Ultimately restraints are used in situations to help keep both the patient and the staff caring for that patient safe. The purpose of this paper is to recognize and explore ways to improve the use of bed restraints and further educate nurses on proper use to enhance patient safety. This is relevant in today’s healthcare setting, because there is still a need to keep patients safe and provide them with quality care, which may include the use of restraints.
CPR is (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). This procedure is used to restore blood circulation and breathing in a person who is in cardiac arrest. All the cells in a human body require oxygen to survive, they also require a good supply of nutrients and removal of all waste products. In your lungs oxygen enters your blood and carbon dioxide is removed, this process is called gas exchange. Cardiac arrest is when your heart completely stops beating. Although your heart stops, this is not the same as a heart attack . a heart attack may lead to cardiac arrest. There are many causes that can put you in a state of cardiac arrest like, drugs, poising and over – dosing on medications, traumatic injury such as a motor vehicle accidents of any kind or any significant amount of blood loss and also anaphylaxis (and allergic reaction to anything) can also lead to cardiac arrest. If any of these happen blood will stop circulating throughout the body. Breathing begins to decrease most of the time you stop breathing for several minutes. The purpose of CPR is to keep oxygen in the blood so it can continue to flow, throughout the body to keep the vital organs alive. CPR will not restart someone’s heart, it just keeps the blood flow circulating until official help arrives , once you come across someone that isn’t breathing you should first see if the scene is clear before you go to help the person( always remember DR ABC always make sure you are not in any DANGER check for a RESPONSE from the person you’re doing CPR on shake them gently . make sure the AIRWAY is clear by kneeling by the persons head and tilting there head backwards . check if the person is BREATHING by placing your ear above their mouth and looking at their chest for normal breathin...
Michel, D. & Willard, S. (2003). When dieting becomes dangerous: A guide to understanding and treating anorexia and bulimia. New haven, CT: Yale University Press.