“The pearl is the queen of gems and the gem of queens” (Unknown). Hester’s daughter Pearl is a controversial character in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. At some points, she is like a gem to Hester. On the other hand, she causes trouble in society, and her existence and behavior leads to people being skeptical about her and Hester. Pearl may have her positive moments, but she has an overall negative effect on Hester throughout the story.
Some people might say that Pearl has a positive effect on Hester. In chapter 6, the narrator describes Pearl as, “By [Pearl’s] perfect shape, its vigor, and its natural dexterity in the use of all its untried limbs, the infant was worthy to have been brought forth in Eden” (Hawthorne 81). The fact that Pearl is so perfect could be a sign of hope for Hester. Hester could embrace Pearl’s perfection and try to become a better person because of it. Hawthorne references the Garden of Eden to give us an idea of Pearl’s effect on Hester when she is first born. Pearl is everything to Hester. She gives her mother the will to live. Another instance where Pearl is a positive influence on Hester is the scene when Hester is invited to go into the woods with the witches. After being invited, Hester answers, “I must tarry at home, and keep watch over my little Pearl” (Hawthorne 105). Her ‘little Pearl’ is the one who keeps her from joining the witches in the woods for their Satanic ritual. In this scene, Pearl’s presence literally saves her mother’s life.
Some readers may say that Pearl is a positive influence on Hester, but Pearl actually has a negative effect on Hester. An example of this is Pearl never lets her mother live down the scarlet letter on her chest. One time when they were in the forest, “Pearl paused to gather some prickly burrs… Taking a handful of these she arranged them along the lines of the scarlet letter that decorated the maternal bosom, to which as their nature was, tenaciously adhered” (Hawthorne 120). Pearl putting these burrs on Hester’s letter is yet another reminder of the “A” on Hester’s chest. Many people in the town give Hester weird looks because of her letter, but one would think her own daughter would let it be. But no, Pearl is a constant reminder to Hester of the guilt she possesses for her sin. Another instance is when Pearl puts Hester in a difficult situation while they are in the governor’s mansion. Pearl is asked, “Canst thou tell me, my child, who made thee?” (Hawthorne 100). She says that, “She had not been made at all, but had been plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison door” (Hawthorne 100). Pearl puts her mother in a dilemma by saying that Hester is not actually her mother. Saying ‘she had not been made at all’ insinuates that Hester is not her mother, and puts her custody of Pearl in jeopardy. Pearl could have been a good child and said she was her mother’s child, or she could have said she was sent by the Heavenly Father. Instead, she ends up making the people think she is the child of the devil. If she was a spawn of the devil, she must be taken away from Hester immediately. Another instance of Pearl potentially being a spawn of Satan is after Hester tells her God sent her. Pearl responds with “I have no Heavenly Father” (Hawthorne 88). With, Pearl saying she has no Heavenly Father, the reader can infer that she came from the Devil to make Hester’s life miserable because of her sin. A third instance of Pearl negatively affecting Hester’s life was when she fought other puritan children after they flung mud at them. The narrator describes the fight, and says, “She screamed and shouted, too, with a terrific volume of sound, which doubtless caused the hearts of of the fugitives to wake them” (Hawthorne 92). Pearl’s ‘screams’ and ‘shouts’ reflect poorly on Hester. Pearl could have respectfully tried to talk to them, or just let it happen, but she chose to engage in a huge brawl and scream so loud that, ‘which doubtless caused the hearts of the fugitives to wake them.’
Pearl did have some moments where she lived up to her name and was like “the queen of gems.” One example of this occurs in the scene where Pearl’s presence keeps her mother from going with the witches, but her overall impact on Hester’s life is negative. Pearl spurs Hester’s guilt and remorse by always pointing out the letter on her chest, and Pearl’ actions in public reflected Hester in a poor way.
This paper is on how Pearl, a character in The Scarlet Letter, can be a positive and a negative effect on the people around her. I chose to write this in a, “I say, they say” format because there are two distinct sides to this debate. I chose to argue that she has a negative effect on her mother, Hester, but I also showed the argument that shows how she can be a positive impact on her mom.
Ben, I enjoyed your use of they say, I say. You’e structured this paper carefully and done a nice job here.