Hester Prynne Character Analysis In Scarlet Letter

Seventeenth century, romance, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne enhances the meaning and importance of the letter A through the main character and protagonist, Hester Prynne, who has committed the sinful act of adultery. As her punishment she is to wear the scarlet letter A imprinted on her so all will know of her wrong doing. As Hester begins to embrace the permanent embellishment of herself, she begins to alter the meaning of the letter into a more promising and encouraging meaning for her and the people around her. She is began to be seen differently and judged differently than once before. Throughout this evolution of the letter, Hester’s enthusiastic, mischievous daughter, Pearl is quick on her feet when she perceives these changes …show more content…
Pearl is a living example of Hester 's mistake and in the beginning she is seen as a curse and the consequence of her mother’s irresponsible actions. Foremost, Pearl interprets the scarlet letter embellished on her mother as something more than just a piece of red cloth that she was required to wear every day; it is as if Pearl believes that Hester was not her mother if the letter was not attached to her, making her believe that the letter was a permeant part of her body. Although, the letter does permanently symbolizes her mistake physically, it was not something that was permanently apart of her body. When Hester goes off into the forest with Pearl to meet Dimmesdale, Hester removes her letter after seeing her mother with this on for seven years. As Hester does this, Pearl immediately begins to deny that she is her mother. As she removes the letter, Pearl feels as if she is removing herself from her life and begs her mother to reattach it. Through this illustration, Pearl sees her mother as being her sin until Pearl begins to see her mother in a different light. Although, these interpretations are all relevant, Pearl is begins to be seen as more of a blessing. This forces her mother to believe that she has been given a reason to live, instead of dying for her mistakes. As Hester begins to see this significance, society also begins to see Pearl as a symbol of love and compassion between two people. They not only begin to accept Pearl as something more than a figurative symbol, but an significant human-being. As Pearl begins to mature, she then begins to take her mother’s actions and being to resemble her mother through the eyes of the rest of society realizing that the scarlet letter is not something that defines who she is as a