The Functions of Pearl in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthrorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Pearl both as a symbol in the novel, and to work on the consciences of Hester and Dimmesdale. Pearl, Hester's child, is portrayed Puritanically, as a child of sin who should be treated as such, ugly, evil, and shamed. The reader more evidently notices that Hawthorne carefully, and sometimes not subtly at all, places Pearl above the rest. She wears colorful clothes, is extremely smart, pretty, and described as impish. More often than not, she shows her intelligence and free thought, a trait of the Romantics.

Hawthorne gives the audience a chance to consider their own opinion on what Pearl really stands for. His ambiguity shows the true complexity to Pearl and each of her symbolic meanings. This is clear in all of the symbolic meanings Pearl had. In the novel, Pearl is an excellent example of childish innocence and treasure, evil and sin, and morality. Her will power and imagination make her a blessing and a curse to her mother, who has paid such a great price for her child.

In the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne, the writer, has created a miserable love story which is mainly developed around a symbol of adultery¡ªthe scarlet letter. Apart from Hester Prynne, the woman who bears the shame of the Letter A, her daughter Pearl Prynne is also an important character closely connected with the symbol of sin in the book. From being a living letter ¡°A¡± to an elf rising above the vulgar crowd, Pearl, throughout the story, has developed into a dynamic symbol which brings us hope and strength. The most significant symbolic meaning of Pearl Prynne is that she is the living version of the scarlet letter, the scarlet letter endowed with life. To Pearl herself, the scarlet letter is part of her life which accompanied her to grow up.

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.

Stade expla... ... middle of paper ... ...d of the Devil, but the goodness of her mother’s sinful act. Pearl constantly shows intelligence and maturity that surprises many of the characters. Lastly, Pearl is put in the story to complete a mission, and she completes this by showing her mother hope and grace. Pearl helps her mother to understand that the scarlet “A” means able. Works Cited Hawthorne.

Hawthornes Use of Pearl as Symbolism in The Scarlett Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne commingles the use of symbolism frequently in his book The Scarlet Letter. The most complex of these symbols is Pearl, the daughter of the illicit relationship between Hester Pyrnne and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Pearl possesses intelligence, imagination and an attitude of inquisitiveness and determination, which occasionally gives way to sheer disobedience of her mother’s will. She is a girl of diverse temperaments. Her unusual behavior leads to appellations of different sorts usually inauspicious.

Pearl introduces themes of sin, acknowledgment of those sins, and finally acceptance of those sins. Hawthorne introduces her as merely a symbol, but then transforms her into a human of flesh and blood. Pearl’s character is one of the most important characters in because of her complex symbolism and the various functions she provides in the novel. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter.

Symbolism is often used within literature to bring attention to the overall themes and ideas of a story. In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Pearl as a symbol of Hester’s sin, conscience, and grace to emphasize the theme that there is no escape from sin, and that even though it may affect you, learning from your mistakes can lead to a bright future. Pearl is first introduced in The Scarlet Letter as Hester’s sin, as she is the result of adultery. The reader first views Pearl Hester’s curse, as Hawthorne introduces her in parallel to the devil. He writes: “the infant, during the latter portion of her [Hester’s] ordeal, pierced the air with wailings and screams” (Hawthorne 22).

Morrison’s use of the phrase “too thick”, along with her short yet powerful sentence structure make this sentence the most prevalent and important in her novel. This sentence supports Paul D’s side on the bitter debate between Sethe and he regarding the theme of love. While Sethe asserts that the only way to love is to do so passionately, Paul D cites the danger in slaves loving too much. Morrison uses a metaphor comparing Paul D’s capacity to love to a tobacco tin rusted shut. This metaphor demonstrates how Paul D views love in a descriptive manner, its imagery allowing the reader to visualize and thus understand Paul D’s point of view.

The austere Puritan ways punish Hester through banishment from the community and the church, simultaneously punishing Pearl in the process. This isolation leads to an unspoken detachment and animosity between her and the other Puritan children. Thus we see how Pearl is conceived through sin, and how she suffers when her mother and the community situate this deed upon her like the scarlet letter on her mother's bosom. Hester Prynne impresses her feelings of guilt onto Pearl, whom she sees as a reminder of her sin, especially since as an infant Pearl is acutely aware of the scarlet letter "A" on her mother's chest. When still in her crib, Pearl reaches up and grasps the letter, causing "Hester Prynn [to] clutch the fatal token… so infinite was the torture inflicted by the intelligent touch of Pearl's baby-hand" (Hawthorne 88).