How Is Pearl Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter

In Hawthorne’s book The Scarlet Letter, Pearl is one of the main characters. Pearl is the daughter of Hester Prynne and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, although; we do not know for sure he is the father for most of the book. Pearl is a peculiar child, to the point that the town actually considers taking her away from her mother, assuming the only explanation for a child to be so odd would be from the mother’s way of raising her. Honestly though, even Pearl worries about her daughters weird personality on more occasion than one. An example of this is how little Pearl reacts, at different times, around Reverend Dimmesdale. Pearl is thought of as a symbol of Hester and Arthur’s affair, and the way she behaves around him shows that Pearl knows more …show more content…
One time on the scaffold in the middle of the night. Hester and Pearl are on their way home after watching a death bed, the Reverend happens to be standing on the scaffold at the same time. The Reverned then asks them to come stand with him, "Come up hither, Hester, thou and Little Pearl," said the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. "Ye have both been here before, but I was not with you. Come up hither once again, and we will stand all three together."(Pg.?) They do join him, but while up there Pearl asks if he will stand there with them the next day at noon. He responds by telling her no, that one day he will stand with her and her mother but tomorrow is not the right day. Another time is in the woods when Hester and Dimmesdale meet. The meet by the brook. Pearl played and her parent talked. During this time Hester takes off the cap that covers her hair and unclasps the scarlet letter from her breast. She tosses the scarlet letter finally feeling free of it. She tells the Reverend he must get to know Pearl and calls her over. Pearl refuses to come forward though without her mother’s scarlet letter on. Hester than has Pearl bring her the leer and returns it to its spot. Pearls then proceeds by asking, “"Doth he love us?", looking up with acute intelligence into her mother 's face. "Will he go back with us, hand in hand, we three together, into the town?" "Not now, my child," answered Hester. "But in days to come he will walk hand in hand …show more content…
They had both suffered enough, and Dimmesdale was getting weaker and sicker by the day. The plan was for the Reverend to go give his sermon on Election Day, then after they would board a ship and go to New England and start a new life. So Pearl and Hester went to watch as the whole town did on his glorious day. Pearl could not understand why when they were there in town the Reverend would not acknowledge them as he did when they were along. Hester tried explaining to her, but she still just did not see the point, she made this clear when she said "What a strange, sad man is he!" as if speaking partly to herself. "In the dark nighttime he calls us to him, and holds thy hand and mine, as when we stood with him on the scaffold yonder! And in the deep forest, where only the old trees can hear, and the strip of sky see it, he talks with thee, sitting on a heap of moss! And he kisses my forehead, too, so that the little brook would hardly wash it off! But, here, in the sunny day, and among all the people, he knows us not; nor must we know him! A strange, sad man is he, with his hand always over his heart!" The plan was not going as planned though, because after the sermon the Reverend called Pearl and Hester over to the scaffold to join him. After they do, he confesses his sins and reveals what seems to be a mark of his sin on his chest, the same place Pearl always notices he held.