The Scarlet Letter

In The Scarlet Letter, one of the most important symbols is Pearl, Hester and Dimmesdale’s child. Pearl is complicated-she is a physical symbol of Hester’s sin, so she often seems evil or unnatural, but she is also a symbol of love and positive things in Hester’s life, despite how she was created. Pearl is a reminder of something terrible for Hester, but she is also a source of joy.

Pearl is a very complicated character-although she is Hester’s child, Hester does not always think of her that way. There are many scenes where Hester thinks of her as a “demon child”, or is frightened by her. For example, when Hester tries to teach Pearl about God she proclaims “I have no heavenly father!”, horrifying Hester and making her believe that her daughter may really be a demon. Because of how she was conceived, it is hard for Hester to think of Pearl as a real child. Pearl is also the personification of Hester’s sin-she was created through the adultery, and serves as a constant reminder of the sin. Throughout the book, Pearl is constantly with Hester, reminding her and everyone around them of her sin. When they are walking throughout town, a child calls out “There is the likeness of the scarlet letter!” referring to Pearl. Also, Pearl always focuses on the letter-it says that as a baby, she chose to grab at it constantly, and when they are in the forest with Dimmesdale, she is afraid of Hester and does not recognize her when she takes it off. Pearl is the physical representation of Hester’s adultery, which makes it hard for Hester to think of her as a pure child.

Although she represents many negative things, Pearl is also a symbol for many good things in Hester’s life-love, passion, and beauty. She is described as having “rich and luxuriant beauty; a beauty that shone with deep and vivid tints; a bright complexion, eyes possessing intensity both of depth and glow, and hair already of a deep, glossy brown and which, in after years, would be nearly akin to black.” For her personality, she is described as intelligent, brave, imaginative, and passionate. Clearly she is shown as a beautiful, desirable creature and not necessarily a realistic portrayal of a child. Hester loves Pearl deeply, and it is shown through her care and treatment of her daughter. She says at one point “My daughter is my happiness,” and she is also terrified when she thinks she might lose custody of Hester. Another part of her symbolism is her name, Pearl. A pearl is created when sand, dirt, and grit combine together under extreme pressure to create something beautiful. Pearl, who is a talented and beautiful child, came out of the sin that Hester and Dimmesdale committed. Pearl represents brightness and love as well as the sin.

Pearl is extremely complicated character and symbol. She is the physical representation of Hester’s sin and adultery, but she is also a symbol of brightness and love that came out of something terrible.