The Pearl Of Great Price In The Scarlet Letter
Pearl of Great Price
Pearl, a precious and valuable object that ironically starts off from an object of no value; a parasite or simply a grain of sand that invades the oyster. The allusion to The Pearl of Great Price in The Scarlet Letter means that Pearl is of high value, Hester is seeking a holy life, and due to Pearl, Hester can achieve that. From the commencement of The Scarlet Letter, readers are aware that Hester has a child, but no one knew she would become so influential to Hester and her life.
Pearl was the one that saved Hester. By simply existing Pearl was the enticement of sympathy from the spiteful Magistrates. Killing a mother was beyond the cogitable for the town officials. Consequently, Pearl would teach Hester a lesson. From that day, Pearl was Hester 's everything. A glimmer of hope in Hester’s life that had become amiss. “ She named the infant ‘Pearl,’ as being of great price—purchased with all she had—her mother’s only treasure! “ (Hawthorne 92). Pearl was a treasure to Hester and If it were not for Pearl, Hester 's life would have been drastically different.
Throughout the book, Hawthorne often foreshadows later events. For example, when Chillingworth talked with Hester in the Prison, Hester says, “Why doth thou smile so at me” inquired Hester troubled at the expression of his eyes. “Art thou like the Black Man that haunts the forest round about us? Hast thou enticed me into a bond that will prove the ruin of my soul?” (Hawthorne 80). This shows how
Scarlet Letter Ambiguity Quotes
907 Words | 4 PagesShe is responsible for all of the hate that is portrayed upon Hester. However, what pearl represents to Hester, is her wild side, how she can be herself and not care about what the town thinks. In chapter 14 Hester and Pearl are at the beach, “Hester bade little Pearl run down to the margin of the water,and play with the shells and tangles sea-weed, until she should have talked awhile with yonder gatherer of herbs. So the child flew away like a bird, and, making bare her small white feet, went pattering along the moist margin of the sea...the image of a little maid, whom Pearl, having no other playmate, invited to take her hand, and run a race with her. ”(154) Pearl is happy and free and influences Hester be the same way.
What Does Pearl A Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter
452 Words | 2 PagesShe is the result of the sin that was committed by Hester and Dimmesdale. Throughout the story Pearl asks difficult questions to her mother. She also has a slight obsession with her mothers embroidered A on her clothes. Pearl acts as a constant reminder that she can never escape her sin as someone who has committed adultery. However, Hester loves her daughter so much.
Who Is Hester A Shameful In The Scarlet Letter
632 Words | 3 PagesThe scarlet letter she was made to wear, was supposed to be ugly and cause her shame, instead it was ornately made and turned out to be beautiful. The way Hester was seen in her town was also supposed to be ugly, but through hard work Hester’s reputation became beautiful. The biggest thing in Hester’s life that was supposed to be ugly was Hester’s daughter, Pearl. Pearl defied all expectations, and grew into a beautiful girl who was Hester’s only reason for living. Going against all expectations, all ugly things in Hester’s life turned into something
Pearl Symbolism In Scarlet Letter
502 Words | 3 PagesPearl’s estranged behavior is believed to be a result of the way she was conceived through sin, which is just another example of how Pearl is the physical representation and constant reminder of Hester’s sin. Towards the end of the book, Pearl is finally allowed to be a real human being once Dimmesdale confesses his sin. In Chapter 23, Hawthorne writes, “The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father’s cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy…” (Hawthorne 142).
Essay About The Mistakes Hester Prynne Ever Made
599 Words | 3 PagesTo Hester’s shock she discovered that Pearl was more mature and imaginative. Hester practically raised Pearl by herself and Pearl turned out to be a Godly, honest, and innovative young girl. People saw how hard it was for Hester and so things changed. Hester became known as the woman who was able to do anything.
Theme Of Chillingworth In The Scarlet Letter
611 Words | 3 PagesHester suffered in prison due to her crime of adultery. Hester saw Chillingworth while the crowd in the marketplace publicly punished and shamed her in which Chillingworth made Hester watch from the scaffold while “he slowly and calmly raised his finger, made a gesture with it in the air, and laid it on his lips" (Hawthorne 57). This action promoted Hester's silence to keep his identity a secret. Hester also suffered when a threat of Pearl, being taken out of her custody, became apparent and was to be given to Dimmesdale. She yelled and screamed in the courtroom, “I will not lose the child!”
Chapter 16 Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter
509 Words | 3 Pages“Pearl took some eelgrass, and … imitated, on her own bosom, the decoration… on her mother’s : A letter “A”, but freshly green, instead of scarlet!”, a quote pulled from Chapter 15, is another attempt by Hawthorne to convey the contrasting ideal of Pearl’s innocence and purity to Hester’s sin. The green of this imitated scarlet letter worn by Pearl is associated with nature and purity, while the scarlet of Hester’s original letter is typically associated with passion and
The Symbolic Pearl In The Scarlet Letter
748 Words | 3 PagesThis child is not meant to be a realistic character but rather a symbol of Hester’s sin, blessing and scarlet letter. Pearl is the scarlet letter, a blessing and curse, and the love and passion of a dangerous relationship. More than a child Pearl is a symbol of the love and passion between Hester and the minister. Pearl is a symbol that connect her parents forever even if they couldn’t be together. The narrator says, “God, as a direct consequence of the sin which man thus punished, had given her a lovely child, whose place was on that same dishonoured bosom, to connect her parent forever with the race and descent of mortals, and to be finally a blessed soul in heaven!”(86)
The Madonna/Whore Complex In The Scarlet Letter
1266 Words | 6 PagesWithin the past year, the treatment and perceptions of women have been challenged due to the various marches and movements. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s romance, The Scarlet Letter, presents how women were viewed in a Puritan society, falling into a rigid dichotomy of either being the “saint” or “sinner.” This is otherwise known as the “Madonna/Whore complex,” which is explored through the life of the novel’s protagonist, Hyster Prynne. Her struggles and experiences through this dichotomy ultimately affect her both physically and emotionally as it represses her femininity.
Should Hester Be Able To Keep Pearl
481 Words | 2 PagesHester is a bad mother, but she should be able to keep Pearl. Hester should be able to keep Pearl because Pearl is the only thing Hester has in life, Pearl is a blessing and a retribution, and Pearl saved Hester. Therefore, Pearl should not be taken away from her mother. Pearl is the only thing Hester has in life. “‘She is my happiness!she is my torture, none the less!
Juxtaposition In The Scarlet Letter
426 Words | 2 PagesThroughout 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.
Pearl And Reverend Dimmesdale In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter
1041 Words | 5 PagesHester went to plead that the officials of the town leave Pearl in her care and not take her away to be raised by any one else. When it seems that Hester is losing this battle she asks Dimmesdale to speak in her defense which he does quite passionately. This desire to protect the mother and daughter bond of Hester and Pearl is what seems to draw Pearl to approach Dimmesdale and take “his hand in the grasp of both her own…” and lay “her cheek against it; a caress so tender…” (The Scarlet Letter, Chapter VIII) Dimmesdale’s defense and Pearl’s reaction are two cues that lead the reader to begin seeing the truth of who Pearl’s father
Janie Crawford In The Scarlet Letter
1294 Words | 6 PagesHester 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.
How Hester Prynne Changes In Scarlet Letter
941 Words | 4 PagesHer 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.
Symbolism Of Pearl In Scarlet Letter
744 Words | 3 PagesAs 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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