The reason behind her disobedience was because she disapproved of Hester removing the scarlet letter from her chest and ultimately taking her badge of shame off and running from her sin. “‘Wilt thou come across the brook, and own thy mother, now that she has her shame upon her, --now that she is sad?’ ‘Yes; now I will!’ answered the child…” (Hawthorne 190). Hawthorne is showing the symbolism of Hester’s scarlet letter. The letter stands for her sin and by removing it from her chest, Pearl sees this as though her mother trying to hide from her sin, which leads to Pearls refusal of listening to Hester. Pearl is keeping Hester guilty and making sure she knows about her sin at all times because Pearl doesn’t appreciate when the sinners try to hide from the truth of their sin. This claim through Hester ultimately shows Hawthorne’s view on hiding sins and not accepting the …show more content…
when Pearl finally listens to Hester and comes to meet Dimmesdale, he kisses her and she “... 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…” (Hawthorne 191). Due to the fact that Dimmesdale still refuses to stand as a sinner with Pearl and Hester, Pearl does not want him anywhere near her and doesn’t approve of him running away from his sin by trying to leave the town and start over somewhere new. Hawthorne is expanding upon the characterization of Pearl by making her attitude bold and childish when running away from Dimmesdale, mainly because she is acting how a typical child would when they don’t get what they want. In Pearl’s case, she wants Dimmesdale to stop hiding and Hawthorne feels sinner should reveal their sins and live with the guilt in