We all like a good scandal and mystery right? Well, the Scarlet Letter is the story for you then. It was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in the 1840’s. The book is set in Puritan time. This woman, Hester Prynne, went to jail because she had an affair with someone. Her husband was off at sea and she got pregnant while he was away. They sent her to prison and she had the baby in jail. She was forced to wear a scarlet A on her bosom. A man comes into town on the day of her punishment and it turns out it was her husband. He questions why the man is not also standing up there with her. The minister tells him that she refuses to tell. We get hints throughout the book about who the father is, but you do not find out until the end that it was Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. The scarlet letter has many things that represent it; three of those things are Hester, the clothes Hester makes, and Pearl. Hester is an example of the scarlet letter she has made. The …show more content…
She was naturally pretty. The letter was very fancy, intricate, and pretty. Pearl was naturally all of those things. “So magnificent was the the small figure, when thus arrayed, and such was the splendor of Pearl’s own proper beauty, shining through the gorgeous robes, which might have extinguished a paler loveliness, that there was an absolute circle of radiance around her (Hawthorne, 93). Hester made sure to emphasize on the beauty of her daughter by making sure she was very well dressed. Hester was a very good seamstress. She made all of Pearl’s dresses and they all looked fabulous. Even Hester realizes that Pearl is the living, breathing scarlet letter. She even said so in the book. “She is my happiness! — she is my torture . . . See ye not, she is the scarlet letter, only capable of being loved, and so endowed with a million-fold the power of retribution for my sin (Hawthorne,116)?” Hawthorne makes it very obvious that Pearl is represents the scarlet
Although while she embodies, Hester’s wild side, she also represents the sin that she committed to create her. Pearl is the reason she has the scarlet “A” on her clothes. In first scaffold scene, Hester hides her scarlet “A” by shielding it with Pearl, irony was prevalent, as she was hiding what literally called her an adulterer, with something that symbolized her being an
In "The Scarlet Letter," Pearl also personifies a brook by asking it "foolish and tiresome little brook…why art thou so sad?" In reality, Pearl is reflecting her own human emotions onto a non-living thing. The main character, Hester, also serves as a living personification of the scarlet letter she is branded with. Although the scarlet letter only signifies certain actions and the judgment of others, by taking ownership of the letter, Hester gives this non-living thing human qualities by making it a part of herself.
In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Pearl to function as a symbol of purity and innocence, but also as a reminder to Hester of her adultery. In the beginning of the story, Hester views Pearl not only as the object of her maternal love but also as a burden and punishment for her adultery. But despite everyone feeling she was born out of sin, Pearl remains happy and playful. She doesn’t let the Puritan obsession with sin stain her life with unhappiness, guilt and fear. Hawthorne describes how all the local children shun her, but she is happy playing by herself amidst the trees and flowers, while all the Puritans torture one another with their strict concepts of sin and morality.
In The Scarlet letter, Hester Prynne is the protagonist and the bearer of the titular scarlet letter, which is a scarlet letter A, which represents her adultery. The secret Hester keeps is one that
While reading The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, it is obvious that he uses a lot of symbolism throughout his writing to give the readers a deeper understanding of the Puritans and their views in these times. In this book, the community forces Hester Prynne to wear a scarlet letter on her chest to show her abashment for committing adultery and having a child, Pearl. However, Pearl is actually used as a symbol throughout this book to represent the physical embodiment of Hester’s sin, the repercussions of her breaking the law, and an unworldly being in the usual strict Puritan society. In the beginning of the book, Hawthorne uses Pearl as a way to constantly remind Hester of her sin and as a link between the secret relationship of Hester
Everyone wants to know who the father of Pearl is but Hester is keeping his identity a secret. From the beginning Chillingworth is determined to figure out who the unknown man is. The secrecy in The Scarlet Letter affects them in both physical and mental ways. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates how secrecy effects Hester Prynne, Roger chillingworth , and Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester is the sole person that knows the secrets that Dimmesdale and Chillingworth are hiding from the townspeople.
In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, adulteress Hester Prynne must wear a scarlet A to mark her shame. Her lover, Arthur Dimmesdale, remains unidentified and is wracked with guilt, while her husband, Roger Chillingworth who seeks revenge. In June 1642, A young woman named Hester Prynne was found guilty of adultery in the Puritan town of Boston. Then a crowd gathered to witness the punishment and now she must wear a scarlet A on her dress as a sign of shame.
The reader more evidently notices that Hawthorne carefully, and sometimes not subtly at all, places Pearl above the rest. She wears colorful clothes, which can be seen as a symbol of the scarlet letter, is extremely smart, pretty, and nice. He also shows her intelligence and free thought. One of Pearl's favorite activities is playing with flowers and trees. " And she was gentler here [the forest] than in the grassy- margined streets of the settlement, or in her mother's cottage.
Pearl is a symbol of the scarlet letter. She was born due to adultery, which is the same reason as to why Hester wears the scarlet letter A. In chapter 7, Pearl is coincidentally put into a red tunic, “...arraying her in a crimson velvet tunic … and flourishes of gold-thread” (Hawthorne 92), which makes Hester realize that she is the human version of the scarlet letter. By Hester realizing this, it shows to the reader that Pearl can be a “sin” and a “blessing” all at the same time.
Pearl’s happiness allows hester to be content with her life, and have hope for a better life. Her daughter’s happiness and beauty brings Hester happiness, which is greatly needed in Hester’s life. By using vivid imagery, Hawthorne conveys Pearl as a child of unwavering beauty and
When Hester finally takes off the scarlet letter “A” and her cape in the wilderness, it not only represents the beauty she held despite the emotional punishment she underwent, but it also represents her removing the Puritan and patriarch society holding her back. Hester’s feminist conscious is intricately portrayed throughout the
Hester dislikes the fact that the “scarlet letter” may be perceived as a sign of weakness, and instead learns to be empowered by the “A”. Ultimately, Hester actively made a positive impact on the community and proceeds to raise pearl, her child, without any assistance from Roger or Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester exemplifies her independence through her ability to maintain financial stability while raising her daughter and working. Hester eventually morphs the public's view of the scarlet letter into something positive. The narrator says, “many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification.
In The Scarlet Letter, Pearl is a very important character and she symbolizes a lot. Pearl is also very smart. She figures out before many of the adults in the town, that Dimmesdale is her father. Pearl also has a big imagination. She when she plays alone, she can turn anything as simple as a stick or a rock into something aminated, and something she play with.
Symbolism Within The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne created symbolism throughout The Scarlet Letter in order to develop the theme throughout Hester’s life. Hester is portrayed as a sheltered soul, shunned from society due to her adulterous acts. The red A and her daughter, Pearl, are symbols of Hester’s shame which she bares proudly despite society's harsh judgements. Hawthorne is able to use symbolism to develop themes, characters, and analogies in the Scarlet Letter.
It is quite obvious in Nathaniel Hawthorne 's The Scarlet Letter that Pearl, Hester Prynne 's daughter, plays a major role. Not only is she one of the main characters, but she is prevalent theme in the novel, as well. Pearl is not written like a regular character. Most of the other symbols in the story, such as the scarlet letter or the rose bush, lead back to Pearl. Pearl takes on many symbols and serves great purpose.