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Juxtaposition In The Scarlet Letter

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Throughout the passage from The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses Hester’s baby, Pearl, to illuminate the theme of beauty in a dark place. Once released from prison, Hester, an adulterer, becomes a public spectacle. Through this hard time, Hester has her daughter Pearl to soothe her and to bring her strength and hope for a better future. By using vivid imagery and juxtaposition, Hawthorne depicts Pearl as Hester’s happiness, light, and beauty during a sad and lonely time. While in Prison, Hester is all alone and depressed. Her only form of comfort is her daughter, Pearl. Once free from jail, Hester and Pearl move into a dark and isolated cabin. Pearl brings light into the “darksome cottage” through her “radiance” and “splendor of [her] proper beauty”. The use of juxtaposition to contrast Pearl’s grace to the cottage’s depressing nature expresses Pearl’s presence as happy and bright, giving Hester the strength to continue living with optimism for a better future. Although Hester is depressed and living in a gloomy cabin, her daughter brings happiness and hope into her life. …show more content…

Hester’s lack of money does not hold her back from providing Pearl with everything she needs. Pearl is dressed in the “richest tissue”, made others see her as “just perfect...an infant princess”. Though only three months old, Pearl evokes the image of beauty from her mother and from strangers who see her. Even though Hester’s life is not ideal, her child brings her beauty in the darkness of her life. Hester wears clothing of poor quality, in order to provide the best for her daughter. 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

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On the outside, Pearl is this beautiful and happy little girl, but on the inside she represents the hostilely and violent part of the scarlet letter. The brook also divides Pearl and Hester, one side receiving the sunlight and the other does not. The imagery that is created with the brook, develops a central theme, which is, where there is happiness, there is also

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Her defiance becomes stronger and will carry her through different hardships. Her determination and lonely stand repeats again when she confronts Governor Bellingham over the issue of Pearl’s guardianship. When Bellingham wants to take Pearl away from Hester, Hester reply’s with, “God gave me the child! I will die first!”(Ch.). When also pressured even more for the child’s care, Hester pleads, “God gave her into my keeping.

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This effects her every day life going out in public and getting ridiculed by all the towns people she is surrounded by. Hester Prynne doesn’t just have to live with a mistake right on her shirt, but people also help her remember past. She does have her daughter or her “sole treasure.” The young girls name is pearl and she is not exactly like the others. It isn't easy because her and her mother are considered different in the community so she is lonely but very

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As stated in chapter six, "Her [Hester] only real comfort was when the child lay in the placidity of sleep. Then she was sure of her, and tasted hours of quiet, sad, delicious happiness; until—perhaps with that perverse expression glimmering from beneath her opening lids—little Pearl awoke!" (Hawthorne X) Pearl is Hester 's greatest treasure, but she cost Hester everything. Because of Pearl, Hester has no chance at a happy life, but Pearl brings her happiness. Pearl is almost like a paradox.

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Hawthorne also uses Hester’s daughter, Pearl, as a symbol: Pearl is important because of her ability to provoke the adult characters in the book. She asks them pointed questions and draws their attention,

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