Scarlet Letter Pearl Character Traits

From her initial introduction to the reader as the “yonder babe, (…) of some three or four months old”, Pearl represents the beauty of the truth (54). As she struggles to find answers about her mother’s scarlet A while simultaneously growing up, Pearl identifies as an innocent character, despite her creation. It is frequently noted that she looks similar to the scarlet letter that her mother so reluctantly bears, with her “bright complexion [and] eyes possessing intensity both of depth and glow, and hair already of a deep, glossy brown” (76). Her similar appearance to the scarlet letter furthers her permanent connection to the letter. Additionally, it highlights the notion that her mother will likely never be able to look at her without reminiscing upon her sin. As Pearl develops, her fire-like actions and dark appearance further molds her into the fleshly expression of Hester’s adultery. Furthermore, Hawthorne ensures to characterize Pearl throughout the novel as a friend to the sunlight, a friend to the truth. As she begins to pick determine that Dimmesdale is her father, the sunlight welcomes her. This is because she is the only innocent character who is not afraid to step into the sun’s rays. Pearl recognizes the light’s love for her and audibly notes, “the

Dimmesdale is ultimately harmless and feels tremendous guilt for failing to father her, but the lack of social development in her childhood put a wall between the two them. At the close of chapter 19, the Pearl’s behavior towards Dimmesdale says it all: “The minister--painfully embarrassed, but hoping that a kiss might prove a talisman to admit him into the child’s kindlier regards--bent forward, and impressed one on her brow. Hereupon, Pearl broke away from her mother, and, running to the brook, stooped over it, and bathed her forehead, until the unwelcome kiss was quite washed off, and diffused through a long lapse of the gliding water (Hawthorne 388).” Dimmesdale was attempting to redeem himself to the young girl, but her lack of trust induced an abrasive response to his affection. Most people are hostile towards Hester and herself, and Pearl knows this.

Pearl is evil in many ways as shown, “Pearl would frown, and clench her little fist, and harden her small features into a stern” (Hawthorne 63). This was because her mother would sometimes just start crying and she resulted in a violent look, Pearl is seen as a child of the devil.

Pearl is the one in control of the scarlet letter, through the novel. She has a fixation on the letter since she was a baby and carries it through the book, causing there to be no escape from the symbol for her mother. She is also a living representation of the scarlet letter, through her fixation and her physical appearance. She is one of the aspects controlling the stigma of the letter. Pearl is the scarlet letter shown through her fascination, appearance, and control.

“She screamed and shouted, too, with a terrific volume of sound which, doubtless, caused the hearts of the fugitives to quake within them. The victory accomplished, Pearl returned quietly to her mother, and looked up, smiling, into her face.”(96). Pearl yells at the kids who are throwing mud at her mother because she is a child and doesn’t know any better. “At first, as already told, she had flirted fancifully with her own image in a pool of water, beckoning the phantom forth, and—as it declined to venture—seeking a passage for herself into the sphere of impalpable earth and unattainable sky.(168). Now that she is older, she has noticed how her mother acts around other people and plays by herself. She has fun even though she is her only friend. Pearl begins to care about other things than just herself. “Perceiving a flock of beach birds that fed and fluttered along the shore, the naughty child picked up her apron full of pebbles, and creeping from rock to rock after these small seafowl, displayed remarkable dexterity in pelting them.”(168). When she sees that she has hurt the poor creature she stops throwing the pebbles. Her emotions build due to her being alone for so long. Pearl wants a friend, but Hester knows that if Pearl has friends they will tell her the true meaning of the scarlet

Hawthorne conveys his idea of adultery through Pearl. He connects the “sprite-like” child and the scarlet letter - adultery - to make them the same. Pearl was born from adultery, just like the letter. She is “the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life!” (92). Pearl is not a real child, but instead the living form of the letter; explaining her mystical tendencies and fascination with the Black Man. The novel is the life story of the Scarlet Letter and Pearl, for they are born and disappear at the same time. Hawthorne uses this breathing symbol of adultery to directly affect the other characters. He turns Pearl

She touches the scarlet letter, but little does she know that she is the reason for the punishment. They are social outcasts, so they don’t leave their house much. Pearl plays alone and has best friends that are imaginary. She distrusts her own imaginary friends for the same reason that she distrusts all the Puritans in the colony. People treat Hester and Pearl differently than everyone else is treated. She only loves Hester, because Hester spends time with her and is a good mother. She plays with her and teaches her Bible stories. Pearl knows the whole catechism at the age of three, but refuses to say it to anyone. She is smarter than everyone thinks she is. Chillingworth speaks to Pearl about the scarlet letter. He asked her if she knew the reason why her mother must wear the scarlet letter all the time. She replies, “Yes, that is the same reason why the preacher holds his hand over his heart.” Pearl asks her mom all the time the reason why she wears the scarlet letter and why the preacher holds his hand over his heart. She knows that they both do, but she doesn’t know why. Hester tells her that she wears it because of the pretty gold thread, but she doesn’t know the minister’s reason. Later in the story, Dimmesdale, Hester, and Pearl meet in the forest, and Hester rips the scarlet letter off. Pearl gets mad then, because she knows that her mother is supposed to wear it. Dimmesdale kisses Pearl, but she washes the kiss off with

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

To me this indicates pearl gave them a warning to leave her alone but they didn’t so pearl defended herself in the best way she knew how so she charged them and they were so afraid that they ran. Pearl also grew up without a childhood because as The Scarlet Letter states that parents of kids Pearl’s age wouldn’t let them play with pearl so as a result “ If spoken to she would not speak again(Hawthorne 87).” Because Pearl Couldn’t communicate with her peers she just shut everyone out except Hester, and certain individuals that had power in the city. To me pearl is a sweet little girl, but she is misunderstood and neglected by the whole city and

It is very sad that a child has no purpose in life other than show his parents guilt and shame. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Pearl was a little girl who was the product of and adulterous act when the minister at the church Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale and a young lady named Hester Prynne. “We have spoken of Pearl’s rich and luxuriant beauty—a beauty that shone with deep and vivid tints, a bright complexion, eyes possessing intensity both of depth and glow, and hair already of a deep, glossy brown, and which, in after years, would be nearly akin to black. “ (Hawthorne 52) Here is a brief description of Pearl, furthermore Pearl is also described as a child who seemed to have some sort of wildness in her.It is said that Pearl was a girl who distinguished herself among others. Pearl was intelligent, very

Pearl is the daughter of Hester Pryne and Dimmesdale. She was created out of sin because her parents whom committed adultery. Pearl is an outcast almost her whole life in the Puritan Community. She is

She was born in a prison, and is being raised in a cottage that is nowhere near the village where all the other children grow up. When people call her such things, she does hear, so this hurts her emotionally and makes this an internal conflict for she must deal with the feelings of being different and judged by others. Since she is isolated from that part of a normal childhood, her only friend in the novel growing up is her mother. This being another internal conflict because she grew knowing her mother always wears the scarlet letter, and is in a certain community that has rules about women. Now in the novel, chapter 17, Hester takes off a garment that covers her hair and removes the scarlet letter from her bosom. Pearl seeing this throws a tantrum for her mother to undo this doing. Causing a major internal conflict of how Pearl sees her mother and dealing with what her mother’s symbols stand for. Pearl mocks her mother for that. There’s an external conflict created by Pearl towards Dimmesdale for when he is conversing with Hester in the forest and he dwells for a kiss, but Pearl refrains. Pearl is a strange child, for she knows something must be going on.

Her isolation roots from the fact that her mother is already an outcast. The children see her as the scarlet letter itself and incline to harass her. Pearl does not see any reason to befriend the other children, instead, she scares them away: “She screamed and shouted, too, with a terrific volume of sound, which doubtless caused the hearts of the fugitives to quake within them” (85). Pearl intimidates the children which isolates her from the townspeople. She is repeatedly referred to as an “elf” or an “imp” which emphasizes her mischievous and free nature. Due to her mother’s reputation in society, Pearl has no friends. She entertains herself by playing with the animals and flowers in the forest. Hawthorne personifies it in his description: “The great black forest—stern as it showed itself to those who brought the guilt and troubles of the world into its bosom—became the playmate of the lonely infant, as well as it knew how. Sombre as it was, it put on the kindest of its moods to welcome her” (169). Pearl finds comfort in the depths of the forest because she is welcomed there rather than being opposed to the town. Although Pearl is isolated, it does not have any harmful effect on her. This shows how free her spirit is and how little she cares about the

In society there are always two kinds of people, good people and bad people. The good people, the teachers pets who always do everything right. They follow the rules and always think of others. Then, you have to bad people, the trouble makers who always do the wrong thing. They break the rules and do things their way. Everyone is classified in one group or the other, and is always thought to be good or bad. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Pearl is evil.

Pearl and her mother must rely on each other in order to get through the days of the loneliness. Hawthorne describes this loneliness by saying, “Mother and daughter stood together in the same circle of seclusion from human society.” (Hawthorne 87). Just like her mother, Pearl was isolated from the outside world because of the sin her mother had committed. She did not fit in with the other kids. Pearl was basically a complete double of her mother and was just as defiant in her actions and the way she got along with others. She is proud of who she is and refuses to be teased. In one sense, Pearl is symbolic in the sense that because she has all of her mother's traits, then in a way she is Hester in a new life and receiving a second chance. This may be why Hester is determined to make sure that Pearl does not end up making the same mistake. Pearl is very much represented as a mirror of her mother in the way she becomes obsessed with the scarlet letter that her mom wears. Pearl is the last strand of hope that her mother has in the world and she wants to be a good parent because Pearl is like her in so many ways. She is in addition the instigator to soften Mr. Dimmesdale through his dreams and the child-like innocence that she displays along with her mother’s same traits that she loves. Pearl does not stop in figuring out the truth behind the letter. In a way, this is her way of forcing the situation to be resolved and she realizes the only