Essay on The Importance of Pearl in Hawthornes The...

The Significance of Pearl One of the most complex characters in The Scarlet Letter is Pearl, the illegitimate daughter of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Throughout the story, she develops into a dynamic individual, as well as an extremely important symbol. Pearl is shunned from society because of her mothers sin. She is a living representation of the scarlet letter, acting as a constant reminder of Hesters sin. Hawthorne uses vivid descriptions to characterize Pearl. She is first described as the infant, ...whose innocent life had sprung, by the inscrutable decree of Providence, a lovely and immortal flower, out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty passion. (Hawthorne 81). From the beginning of her life she is viewed as the†¦show more content†¦The light lingered about the lonely child, as if glad of such a playmate, (Hawthorne 168). The sunshine is grateful for Pearl, accepting her as an equal. Hawthorne describes another sign of acceptance as the great black forest...became the playmate of the lonely infant. (Hawthorne 187). Eventually it is declared, The truth seems to be, however, that the mother-forest, and these wild things which it nourished all recognized wildness in the human child. (Hawthorne 188). Because the community does not accept her, Pearl takes on the characteristics of nature because nature accepts her as one of its own. Pearls character lacked reference, and adapt ation to the world into which she was born. The child could not be made amenable to rules. (Hawthorne 83). This quote shows a striking resemblance in description between Pearl and nature. Pearl and nature are referred to as not adapting to Puritan society. This characteristic makes Pearl so different because she is unaffected by the community, and is a product of nature and its ways. Hawthornes descriptions and developments of the relationship between Pearl and Nature further characterize Pearl who has been thrust out of Puritan society. The members of the Puritan society view PearlShow MoreRelatedScarlet Letter : A Dark Gloom Hung1105 Words   |  5 PagesGeorge Mallinos Mrs. Costigan AP English III 16 February 2015 The Scarlet Letter A dark gloom hung over Nathaniel Hawthorne’s head for most of his life causing his writings to be intoxicated with his everlasting thrust for darkness. In The Scarlet Letter he plants his trade mark of sin, redemption, and guilt into history’s abiding collection of remarkable writings. Throughout this piece, it is easy to notice the hardship Hester must endure every day while living with the reputation of committingRead MoreScarlet Letter : The Rejection Of Puritan Values1466 Words   |  6 PagesBenjamin Stoops Mr. Goldhammer Honors American Studies 2 November 2015 Scarlet Salvation: The Rejection of Puritan Values in The Scarlet Letter In The Scarlet Letter, each of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s characters undergo internal challenges. When Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter concludes, many characters’ personal struggles have ended, either in their favor or resulting in their downfall. Hawthorne most notably fixates upon Pearl, Hester, Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth and the challenges theyRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne1501 Words   |  7 Pagesby an artist whom has read the book to bring the book’s meanings and themes into one picture. 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Pearl Prynne, named for her worth to a mother who sacrificed everythingRead MoreThe Great Author Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay1261 Words   |  6 Pagesa visual picture. His mind often turned to matters associated with human judgments on mortality, with guilt and its consequences (Turner). In the novel Hawthorne’s short stories he has a series of stories that have to do with things like suffering, honor, and religion. One good novel that deals with all of these things as well is Th e Scarlet Letter including loneliness, revenge, shame, and betrayal. Hawthorne is also known to strongly show Puritan beliefs. Hawthorne would search out moral implicationsRead MoreA Cultural Critical Reading Of The Scarlet Letter Essay1711 Words   |  7 PagesThrough a Cultural Critical reading of the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, it is evident that it is not only great piece of American literature, but also an analysis of Hawthorne’s 18th century knowledge about the culture and society of Puritans. The Scarlet Letter is not really an accurate representation of Puritan culture; however, it does represent how Puritan culture was seen in the 18th century, and to the people in Hawthorne’s period, they were harsh towards women, children, and cruellyRead MoreEssay about Sin, Alienation, and Love in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter944 Words   |  4 Pages The Scarlet Letter: The Themes of Sin, Alienation, and Love nbsp; The Puritans, a religious group in New England in the early 1600’s, interpreted the Bible form a fundamentalist perspective and strove to attain a sinless society.nbsp; Of course, people are human and sins are inevitable so the Puritans sinned and their perfect society was never achieved.nbsp;nbsp; Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter develops the themes of sin, alienation, and love to provide valuable insights intoRead MoreAnalysis Of The Scarlet Letter 1516 Words   |  7 Pagesare used in symbols. These three types can be found in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. The three types of symbols that Fromm mentions in his article are conventional, accidental, and universal symbols. Conventional symbols are symbols that â€Å"we employ it in everyday language† (121) and they can have â€Å"an inherent connection with the feeling it symbolizes† (122). The scarlet letter is a conventional symbol since it is a letter. Accidental symbols, in the words of Erich Fromm, are relationshipsRead MoreThe Symbol Of Pearl In The Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne1414 Words   |  6 Pages Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter exhibits 17th century Boston, Massachusetts and the puritans’ lifestyle through the story of Hester Prynne and her sin. Society casts Hester out for her sin of adultery by making her wear a scarlet ‘A’ on her bosom. Hester commits adultery with another man, and later gives birth to a baby girl, Pearl. Although Pearl at first seems to be just the child of Hester and is a supporting character, she later becomes a significant part of the novel and is a prominentRead MoreAnalysis Of Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter 866 Words   |  4 PagesTruths Hawthorne’s wilderness is exactly what its name implies: wild. It does not hold the same rules or laws that Puritan civilization does. Instead it presents a myriad of situations and emotions, which make it one of the most important symbols in The Scarlet Letter. However, there is a twist. It doesn’t just symbolize one thing, but two that are distinctly contrary to one another. The forest can be a place of true nature where a person is shown as who they are supposed to be, not who other people