Scarlet Letter Pearl essay
From the minute she was born, Pearl had a role in her mother’s life. She was the embodiment of her mother’s sin, but she also made life worth living for her mother. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester, Pearl’s mother is punished for adultery and lives a guilty and tortured life. Hester’s life may have been miserable and her scarlet letter stabbed her throughout it all, but Pearl was there to keep Hester moving forward. Pearl was a strange child, and she could have easily been sent from the devil like many Puritans thought. Pearl was naughty; she threw rocks at other children, she made fun of people, she screamed at anyone staring, she was rude to Dimmesdale, her father, and she often made fun the scarlet letter that her mother shamefully wore. Despite all this, Pearl was a source of joy for Hester. Pearl kept her mother company; she was often mischievous, but eventually this behavior led to redemption for Hester and Dimmesdale.
In Hester’s sad and lonely life, Pearl brings happiness and something for which Hester to live. Giving birth to Pearl made Hester an outcast in society, but that does not mean she loves Pearl any less. Hester chose her baby’s name carefully, as she is the embodiment of her sin. The narrator describes, “But she named the infant “Pearl,” as being of great price–purchased with all she had–her mother’s only treasure!” (Hawthorne 84). Hester compares her child to a valued stone with a expensive cost. She may live a sad and depressing life, but Pearl is her ‘treasure’, her possession she takes pride in, and the object to which she devotes her life. Hester believes this piece of happiness is from God. She cries, “God gave me the child!…She is my happiness!–she is my torture, none the less! Pearl keeps me here in life!” (Hawthorne 106). Hester literally cries out that without Pearl she will die. Pearl is the rope that holds Hester to life. She is far from the perfect child, she makes fun of Hester and is often naughty, but as Hester says, she is her punishment for her sin. Pearl is a little girl born of a sin, but she is still Hester’s little girl. Although Hester loves Pearl, the rest of the town is very unsure.
The people of the town think Pearl is sent from the devil. Of course they have reason to believe this, but Hester continues to look at Pearl as a blessing. Despite Hester’s belief, the townspeople have a valid point. Pearl makes fun of the scarlet letter and never passes up an opportunity to rub it in. Since she was born, Pearl has always been aware of her mother’s scarlet letter. This is clearly stated in the story, “…that first object of which Pearl seemed to become aware was—shall we say it?—the scarlet letter on Hester’s bosom!” (Hawthorne 91). This awareness Pearl has gives her the power to do a lot of her devilish behavior. She continuously shames her mother for the letter, but when her mother takes off the letter, she insists that she put it back on. Hester finally talks with Dimmesdale and they make a plan to start a new life, to move past their sin, but Pearl does not let that happen. When Hester asks Pearl to cross the river and join her and Dimmesdale, “Pearl pointed with her forefinger; and a frown gathered on her brow, the more impressive from the childish, the almost baby like aspect of the features that conveyed it,” (Hawthorne 200). Pearl was pointing at the blank space where there was no letter. She has only known her mother with the letter, she refuses to except her without it, but she is well aware of the shame her mother carries with it. This action is making fun of Hester, Pearl insists that her mother continue to bear this sin. This behavior is selfish and cruel, all the more reason to support the Puritan’s point. When Pearl does this she is right. Instead of naughty and mean she is actually very intelligent. Hester can not just throw away her letter, she needs to stay true to her sin. The letter A is part of who Hester is and without it she would have a completely different identity. Hester soon realizes that Pearl is right, she puts her letter back on, and Pearl crosses the river to join her mother.
Pearl’s job through the story seems to be to bring Hester and Dimmesdale out from behind the shadow of their sin. This explains why Pearl would not let Hester forget her sin and move on. This also explains why Pearl would not except Dimmsdale into her life until he publicly accepts her. On Election Day after Dimmesdale makes his speech and admits to being her father, “Pearl kisses his lips. The spell was broken,” (Hawthorne 242). Soon after this Dimmesdale died, but by then Pearl had completed her job; she redeemed her mother and Dimmesdale was exposed. He publicly confessed and was no longer holding anything on his chest. Hester was also able to move on. The town eventually looked up to her, and they even started coming to her for advice: “Hester comforted and counselled them, as best she could, (Hawthorne 249). Hester went from being the outcast in the town to the mentor for many others. If not for Pearl, Hester may have rotted in her own guilt.
Pearl is Hester’s treasure, Pearl is what Hester lived for through all the years she was ashamed and living in guilt. But, Pearl is not the perfect child. She did many things that reasonably made the townspeople think she was sent from the devil to punish Hester for her sin. As the story goes on and Hester thinks she can move past her sin, Pearl does not let her. Instead Pearl urges Dimmesdale to publicly admit to being her father. When Pearl came of age to move on to her own life, she leaves Hester as a mentor to the town. Pearl brings her mother joy in the darkest times of her life. She really was sent from God to Hester as a gift. She brought Dimmesdale publicly into their family and redeemed her mother.