Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Gothic Romance, The Scarlet Letter, encircles Boston society during the era of Puritanism. Hawthorne introduces Hester Prynne on the town scaffold, wearing her stamp of shame—the scarlet letter—and holds her infant tight in fear of being punished for committing adultery. The infant, Pearl Prynne, flourishes into a stubborn, wild-child whose clever and inquisitive nature exceeds any child her age. While Pearl is confined within a bubble of solitude, she is left to wonder about the identity of her unknown father. Pearl is shunned by the children in Boston, and she seeks comfort in the forest that is free from the corrupt Puritan society. Although some may argue that Pearl 's future prosperity is unaffected by her parent’s
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The Prynne family circle is restricted to Pearl and her mother. As long as Pearl’s little heart beats, she does not allow anyone to invade the circle—even Reverend Dimmesdale. This is evident in Pearl’s manifestestation while in the forest: “Pearl had reached the margin of the brook and stood on the further side, gazing silently at Hester and the clergyman….this brook is the boundary between two worlds [that Pearl] is forbidden to cross” (Hawthorne 189-190). The brook resembles a separation between parallel universes: the rekindled romance of Hester and Dimmesdale versus the quarantined life of Pearl Prynne. Pearl feels alienated from society and from the close relations with her parents. Clearly, the elf-spirited child cannot coexist in both worlds; Pearl resents the interference of Dimmesdale in her life, and is unwilling to accept this or any form of change. Some may dispute that all children at Pearl’s age are resistant to transition and prefer repetition, and that Pearl needs time to adjust to having a relationship with Dimmesdale. While it is true that in Governor Bellingham’s Mansion, Pearl shows fondness towards Dimmesdale, this only lasts temporarily and she returns to her detached and indifferent
The Prynne family circle is restricted to Pearl and her mother. As long as Pearl’s little heart beats, she does not allow anyone to invade the circle—even Reverend Dimmesdale. This is evident in Pearl’s manifestestation while in the forest: “Pearl had reached the margin of the brook and stood on the further side, gazing silently at Hester and the clergyman….this brook is the boundary between two worlds [that Pearl] is forbidden to cross” (Hawthorne 189-190). The brook resembles a separation between parallel universes: the rekindled romance of Hester and Dimmesdale versus the quarantined life of Pearl Prynne. Pearl feels alienated from society and from the close relations with her parents. Clearly, the elf-spirited child cannot coexist in both worlds; Pearl resents the interference of Dimmesdale in her life, and is unwilling to accept this or any form of change. Some may dispute that all children at Pearl’s age are resistant to transition and prefer repetition, and that Pearl needs time to adjust to having a relationship with Dimmesdale. While it is true that in Governor Bellingham’s Mansion, Pearl shows fondness towards Dimmesdale, this only lasts temporarily and she returns to her detached and indifferent