The Scarlet Letter is about a woman who is punished for adultery while her husband is across the ocean, or even possibly dead at the bottom of it. Hester had a daughter because of the affair and names her Pearl. Hester is a very important character in this book, but many people look past Pearl. Without Pearl they would have continued on with the affair. Pearl represents more than just a innocent child in a bad situation though. She symbolizes what happens when a secret love goes wrong.
Pearl is meant to symbolize a few things throughout the scarlet letter. One of them being she represents the outcome of Hester’s loneliness. Hester was not the fondest of her husband so with him still in England she was “left to her own misguidance” (55) as a townsman said. Her husband was Roger Chillingworth and even he asked how he had thought she would stay with him, “...what had I to do with youth and beauty like thine own! Misshapen from my birth-hour, how could I delude myself with the idea that intellectual gifts might veil physical deformity in a young girl’s fantasy!” (65) She was lonely in Boston and had an old man as her husband, who didn’t …show more content…
As time goes on and Pearl starts to grow up, she is described as a “lovely and immortal flower, out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty passion” (79). Pearl is described as the human form of the scarlet letter because she is the outcome of the sin, and constantly reminds Hester about her mistake. The scarlet letter not only a part of Hester’s life but a part of Pearl’s life too. If Hester was to remove the letter she will be seen as disowning her daughter. Although Pearl is seen as the result of the sin and unloved, Hester says Pearl keeps her going when she wants to quit. “But she named the infant “Pearl,” as being of great price-purchased with all she had-her mother’s only treasure!” (79) Hester is very grateful for having Pearl even though she is an outcome of a
Pearl is meant to symbolize a few things throughout the scarlet letter. One of them being she represents the outcome of Hester’s loneliness. Hester was not the fondest of her husband so with him still in England she was “left to her own misguidance” (55) as a townsman said. Her husband was Roger Chillingworth and even he asked how he had thought she would stay with him, “...what had I to do with youth and beauty like thine own! Misshapen from my birth-hour, how could I delude myself with the idea that intellectual gifts might veil physical deformity in a young girl’s fantasy!” (65) She was lonely in Boston and had an old man as her husband, who didn’t …show more content…
As time goes on and Pearl starts to grow up, she is described as a “lovely and immortal flower, out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty passion” (79). Pearl is described as the human form of the scarlet letter because she is the outcome of the sin, and constantly reminds Hester about her mistake. The scarlet letter not only a part of Hester’s life but a part of Pearl’s life too. If Hester was to remove the letter she will be seen as disowning her daughter. Although Pearl is seen as the result of the sin and unloved, Hester says Pearl keeps her going when she wants to quit. “But she named the infant “Pearl,” as being of great price-purchased with all she had-her mother’s only treasure!” (79) Hester is very grateful for having Pearl even though she is an outcome of a