The Role Of Pearl In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, readers are introduced to Pearl, the result of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale's adulterous acts. Pearl is mentioned or discussed in all of but four chapters of the novel and the conclusion, yet her significance or role in Hawthorne's novel receives very little attention. Hawthorne is able to paint her picture delicately through his description of her physical appearance and spiritual qualities, his presentation of her as the link between Prynne and Dimmesdale, and his use of her in the most crucial scenes of the novel (the forest scene and the three scaffold scenes) which morphed her purpose of being a link between Hester and Arthur into a symbol of sin. The purpose of this essay is to show off the key points of Pearl's character and the functions she represents in the novel. Throughout the book Hawthorne drops hints to the reader on how to understand his novel. Within Chapter 19 of The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne makes it known that Pearl is more than just the link that ties Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale together--her character and role is more complex than that. As …show more content…
Of every character within the novel, Pearl's function is the most beneficial for her mother. Pearl is the link that forces Hester to be apart of humanity and in turn, saves her from complete human isolation when the Puritans outcast Hester for her sins. The Scarlet Letter also contains a transformation within Dimmesdale from a weak sinner and a hypocrite into someone who is sincere and strong enough to make a public confession to the Puritan Society. The reason for this change must be the cause of Pearl. She helps him with the redemption and gives him the strength he needs to confess his sins. Because of this Pearl is seen as the aid in Dimmesdale's