“There is no safer haven than a mother’s arm.” Although every mother should love their children, the relationship between Pearl and Hester in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthrone is extremely complicated. Pearl is without a doubt the most interesting and unpredictable character in the novel. Pearl often hurts Hester, sometimes even gets Hester in trouble, but many people ignore the fact that she is actually really helpful to Hester. Throughout the story, Pearl makes Hester a better person; she stands up for Hester, and Pearl also is the only reason Hester is still alive.
The relationship between Hester and Pearl is what The Scarlet Letter’s story is focused on. Pearl brings a lot of pain to Hester without a doubt, but overlooking Pearl’s actions, she loves Hester.
Pearl is a really naughty and uncontrollable child, but that does not mean that she has a bad influence on Hester. In fact, it is just the opposite. Pearl is actually making Hester a better person. When Mistress Hibbins asked her to go into the forest and do witchcraft, Hester responded: “Make my excuse to him, so please you!” … “I must tarry at home, and keep water over my little Pearl. Had they taken Pearl from me, I would willingly have gone with thee into the forest, and signed my name in the Black Man’s book too, and that with mine own blood!” (Hawthrone 105). If the governors took Pearl away from Hester, she would have gone to the forest and broken the law by doing witchcraft. That would lead to a terrible result as seen in the Salem Witch Trials. One of the main reasons the governors decided to leave Pearl with Hester is because Dimmesdale made the argument that she is like a leash to her. Pearl’s existence prevents Hester from doing whatever she wants; it makes Hester think about Pearl first. It also shows how much Pearl matters to Hester, she always puts Pearl in the first place. However, no matter how much Pearl means to Hester, she is still the child of sin.
The purpose of the scarlet letter is to remind the sinners of their sin. Pearl is exactly just like a scarlet letter for Hester. When begging the governors for the guardianship of Pearl, Hester said: “Pearl Punishes me too! 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?” (Hawthrone 101). Pearl is the result and the symbol of Hester’s sin. This might seem to be causing Hester a lot of pain, but it is actually constantly reminding Hester of her sin so that she does not sin again. The most important thing in Hester’s life is also the biggest sin of her life. It is almost impossible for Hester to sin again with Pearl beside her. Hester exaggerated the power of Pearl as the scarlet letter, just to explain to the judges that she should keep Pearl around with her.
The process of making somebody a better person is necessary, but nonetheless painful. To support Hester, Pearl will also from time to time stand up for her mother in situations. On the way to the town hall, Pearl and Hester came across the Puritan kids. They were making fun of Hester because of the scarlet letter on her chest. Hester wanted to ignore it, “But Pearl, who was a dauntless child, after frowning, stamping her foot, and shaking her little hand with a variety of threatening gestures, suddenly made a rush at the knot of her enemies, and put them all to flight. She resembled, in her fierce pursuit of them, and an infant pestilence, – the scarlet fever, or some such half-fledged angel of judgment, whose mission was to punish the sins of the rising generation” (Hawthrone 92). Pearl was described as an angel, an angel to punish the new generation. This is the first time anyone has ever stood up for Hester since her trail. Hester has been seen by angry and disgusted eyes for years. She is very tired of the public shame that she receives every single day. Pearl, the child of sin, stands up for Hester on her own will. It takes a lot of courage for a child to fight against the public. That must have brought a bit of warmth to Hester and made her feel better about her relationship with Pearl which she has been struggling with.
It is important that Pearl stands up for Hester, it is also important that Pearl keeps Hester away from sinning, but the most important effect of Pearl on Hester is that she is the only reason Hester is still alive. Once again, when Hester was on the court arguing with the judges to keep Pearl. She explains: “She is my happiness!- she is my torture, none the less! Pearl keeps me here in life! … Ye shall not take her! I will die first!” (Hawthrone 101). The multiple exclamation marks make the readers feel Hester’s struggles, Hester’s need for Pearl, and Hester’s love for her own daughter. Pearl is so important to Hester that she would die if they took Pearl away from her. The world has been cruel to Hester. She had to live under the judging eyes of thousands everyday. Hester is sick of it, but the responsibility of motherhood keeps her here on earth everyday. It might not seem to be the best situation, but it is Hester’s only choice. Pearl makes her strong enough to take on the world and keep fighting.
The relationship between Hester and Pearl is what The Scarlet Letter’s story is focused on. Pearl brings a lot of pain to Hester without a doubt, but overlooking Pearl’s actions, she loves Hester. Pearl’s existence made Hester a better person, Pearl’s actions made Hester feel supported, Pearl’s company is also Hester’s only reason to live in this world. Moreover, what mother does not value her child? A mother should always be the most important person for a child, the same goes the other way around.
This is one of the first critical essays that I wrote this year. A little rusty but good thing I remembered to connect between the paragraphs. This essay is based on the idea that Pearl loves Hester and has a positive affect on her, just like the Black Pearl to Captain Jack Sparrow.