Scarlet Letter Antagonist Quotes

An antagonist is someone that’s supposed to make it harder on the protagonist to get what they want. In the book that person would obviously be Roger Chillingworth. He tries to make Hesters lovers life hard and in turn messes with her. But in the whole of the book Roger has personally messed with Hester once. The only person to constantly antagonize Hester is Pearl. She continuously mocks her, doing things that make Hester feel bad and frustrated. Pearl is Hesters silent antagonist and she might even be better at keeping Hester from getting what she wants more than Roger. Pearl has of course caused all these events to take place with her birth, she also causes Hester to wear the A like the village did, and she as stated before mocks her for the entirety of the book. Pearl has caused all of these events to take place with her birth being the catalyst. To quote Hester “To assure herself that the infant and the shame were real” (Hawthorne 56) Pearl is the living proof of the sin committed. If she wasn’t born then there wouldn’t be shame brought upon Hester and if it was it would be because she admitted it herself or some other happening. Because Hester gets pregnant with Pearl that sin that was

“Children will not abide any, the slightest, change in the accustomed aspect of things that are daily before their eyes.” (Hawthorne 189) When Hester is ready to drop the A, something that up until then she didn’t believe she could do, Pearl stops her. She has Hester put it back on when she wanted to get rid of it and finally be happy. Pearl stops Hester from attaining a freedom she hasn’t had in years. Pearl doesn’t do it because she really can’t recognize Hester she does it because she wants to leave Hester trapped. Pearl was old enough where she of course can recognize her mother but she completely wanted to lock Hester back in the cage she was in and that was the worst thing done to Hester the whole