What Is The Symbolism Of Pearl In The Scarlet Letter

Sin is act any act regarded as such a transgression, especially a willful or deliberate violation of some religious or moral principle. Should someone be reminded of their sins for their rest of their lives and live in a world of hate and isolation or should a wrongdoer be able to redeem themselves for what they’ve done. Set in the Protestant Era of Boston Massachusetts, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne the main protagonist Hester Prynne commits a sin of adultery with someone in her community and as punishment she is branded with a Scarlet A on her chest of a reminder of her sin. The whole community punishes her and treats her as an outcast and lives a life of isolation and guilt that she shares with her daughter Pearl her greatest

When we are first introduced to Pearl, Hawthorne immediately used her as a symbols as he describes “But she named the infant “Pearl,” as being of great price,—purchased with all she had,—her mother’s only treasure!”(Hawthorne 92). Pearl right off the bat is her mother’s greatest gift and greatest burden as she is symbol of Hester’s isolation from the community as well as her act of adultery, she is in fact the living and breathing personification her act of sin. We see that Pearl is the living embodiment of her sin because when she was first born Hawthorne describes "But that first object of which Pearl seemed to become aware was-shall we say?--the scarlet letter on Hester's bosom!"(Hawthorne 93), at this moment Pearl evolves from being just God's punishment to being an active and forceful symbol of her mother’s sin. As Daniel Hoffman an american poet, admits “It is through its similitude with Pearl and the scarlet letter can be endowed, with life. Indeed it seemed to have a life of it’s own”(300). Pearl and the scarlet letter are almost the same metaphorically as they both serve as reminders of Hester’s sins, and Pearl can be seen as the personification of the letter “A” Hester wears on her chest. The ultimate price that Hester pays for Pearl is her her mental and well being as she lives her life in constant guilt and blame from the town

From a symbol of sin and guilt into a symbol for hope, for herself and her mother. When Hester finally returns to New England as it is described as “Here had been her sin; here, her sorrow; and here was yet to be her penitence. She had returned, therefore, and resumed,—of her own free will, for not the sternest magistrate of that iron period would have imposed it,—resumed the symbol of which we have related so dark a tale”(Hawthorne 272). Hester at her old age has fully accepted and has true understanding of the scarlet letter. She wears it not out of shame or guilt, but now out of pride and respect. Pearl helped her regain control of her life as she tormented her mother, subsequently made her a stronger woman and allowed her to ascend pass a sinner and into almost a saint like being. She gave her strength to continue on, and eventually come back to her place of sin, and