Nathaniel Hawthorne authored the book The Scarlet Letter. His goal was to expose the depravity of Pearl's parents. The issues of guilt, sin, and legalism are all examined extensively in Nathaniel's book. The novel's events unfold in 17th-century Boston, Massachusetts. Hester Prynne, the protagonist of the novel, has a daughter via an adulterous relationship and does all in her power to help her lead a life of repentance and dignity. This paper will analyse the role that Hester Prynne's daughter Pearl plays in the novel and the ways in which her personality and experiences shape the author's presentation of the book's central ideas. We'll also analyse the book's use of symbolism and whether or not it helped get Nathaniel Hawthorne's point through to readers.
In The Scarlet Letter, Pearl is one of the many multifaceted and nuanced characters. Illegitimate daughter of Author Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne, Pearl. To survive and assist bring out clearly the message that the writer wished to transmit, she undergoes constant change throughout the novel, and this becomes apparent to the reader as they progress through the text (Mary, 99). Pearl is constantly reminded of her mother's transgression by the other members of the society and by the reader, and as a result she continues to be shunned and avoided by both groups. A shabby house on the outskirts of Boston is where they call home, far away from the other villages and their inevitable disgrace. On page 81, Hawthorn paints a clear picture of Pearl, the innocent baby whose existence resulted from some unknown act of providence (Mary, 133). She's beautiful, he says, and she'll never die because she doesn't know the sins that paved the way for her creation.
From birth, she is seen as an outcast, a demonic offspring that everyone with a shred of decency must do their best to steer clear of. Pearl is affected by this treatment since she is not typical of the norm in this culture. Nature and the local animals are her sole solace, treating her kindly and accepting her in a manner that her human neighbours did not. One other thing: Pearl was a stunning infant. Hawthorne does a wonderful job of articulating her attractiveness on pages 81 and 82. Pearl was stunning, with a radiance brought out by the richness of her coloration. She stood out from the other females with her fair skin and striking eyes that combined a deep shine with a brilliant intensity. Her dark brown hair was another attractive feature; it shimmered in the light as she went. She was stunningly attractive due to her many attractive physical features. In addition, she was stylish. She wore expensive clothes that drew attention to her attractiveness, but this made many puritans view her with suspicion. The primary cause for this was because the other puritan kids all dressed the same, and they would never accept someone who didn't look like them or dress like them as one of them. Pearl was a difficult child because of this treatment; even when other kids showed an interest in her, she became angry and threw stones at them.
Pearl is also quite powerful, and she uses that strength to her advantage in every circumstance. When she realises that the other kids won't accept her, she resolves to spend her days among the trees and the animals, who will love her regardless of her appearance. Hawthorne describes the child's happy glow, on page 168, as though it were relieved to have met such a kind playmate. Also, we learn that Pearl is treated with respect by the Sunshine. This lonely youngster finds a friend in the huge forest. She develops an unhealthy obsession with the natural world, and as a result, she becomes a very peculiar youngster. To develop typically, every kid need social interaction with other people. Pearl, we are informed, had no frame of reference and no connections to the world into which she were born. She has been completely unswayed by the Puritan way of life, instead taking her cues for inspiration from the natural world around her. She was uprooted from her hometown and now the only culture she can relate to is the one that thrives off the land and in the woods.
The members of her culture contemplate and view her with extremely conflicting thoughts, and they perceive her as an odd and strange youngster born out of a bad deed. A lot of folks just don't get her. Hester's confession to Dimmesdale that she has a hard time making sense of this child despite her undying love is an excellent illustration. She continues by saying that tiny Pearl is terrifying at times. Dimmesdale is conflicted because he has feelings for the little girl and genuinely wants to make peace with her and get to know her better, but he is not willing to risk his political and social standing by publicly acknowledging her.
A youngster with a lot of empathy and curiosity, Pearl is. She had a complicated and winding past, which explains why she has these traits. She is raised in a home without a father figure and has no idea who he is. She has only her mother to confide in, and even her mother has been shunned by the rest of the town. As a result, she becomes an exceptionally perceptive and inquisitive youngster. Hester's daughter is constantly on her case, inquiring about things her mother would prefer not discuss with her. She is curious about her family history and wonders why she and her mother do not share a home with her father as the majority of people in society do.
This work heavily relies on symbolism. Many of the novel's characters stand in for abstract concepts. Nathaniel Hawthorne used symbolism consciously to bolster the novel's themes. Pearl, as one of the novel's most misunderstood characters, is utilised to illustrate a variety of points. A dynamic symbol, Pearl grows throughout the narrative. It's crucial that you remember that pearl is a metaphor for evil throughout the whole narrative. Since she was conceived in iniquity, she represents the divine retribution meted out to Hester for her unfaithful ways. Pearl is also a metaphor for the shame her parents feel. By choosing happiness above misery while spending time in nature, she goes against the puritans' commandment. The fact that Pearl is always troubling and nagging her mother also serves as a metaphor for her impending doom. It's crucial that readers keep in mind, all throughout the book, how much he teases and annoys his mother, giving the impression that he's a witch baby sent to torture his mother. Though most newborns bring their moms nothing but joy, Pearl was anything but, and the author skillfully and clearly employed symbolism to represent Pearl's ordeal. The Pearl is capable of great evil since she possesses both a nasty temper and a powerful emotional life. Hester's life is so miserable because of these traits that she once prayed to God to tell her what type of human she had brought to Earth. Hester's daughter repeatedly harassed her about the scarlet A she was wearing, and eventually Hester became the target of widespread derision among the community, including from her own daughter.
A personification of Hester's and Dimmesdale's misdeeds, Pearl represents both of their shortcomings. An adulterous relationship is directly responsible for the birth of this child. As such, she also personifies dishonesty. I think it's important to point out the persistence with which Hester and Dimmesdale lie to the public about the affair that resulted in the birth of Pearl. These two refuse to come clean about who the Pearl's biological father is. Pearl's life was negatively impacted by the fact that even she did not know who her biological father was. We can also see how Dimmesdale is suffering on the inside because he wants so much to love his daughter, but it's so difficult for him to admit to society that he's the genuine father of Pearl because of how she was created. Importantly, the Dimmesdale did not commit the sin of adultery; rather, he lied about being complicit in the conduct that resulted in the birth of Pearl.
Pearl was an extremely bright kid, and that has to be stressed. She had an uncanny knack for picking up on subtle hints from context and body language to deduce something she was not meant to know (Edwin and Louis, 143). When Dimmesdale laid his hand over his chest, right above his heart, she was deeply disturbed by his action. From the looks of things, Pearl made the connection to Hester's scarlet letter and immediately sensed that something was wrong. Her mother believes she is not a human being since she is so brilliant.
Hawthorne also makes use of symbolism by representing the scarlet letter with a pearl. It has been said to us that even as a little child, she had a thing for the scarlet letter. On page 90, it is said that the baby girl's gaze was glued to the shimmering gold embroidery. When Hester gets a little older, she tosses the "A" on the ground and shouts at Pearl, demanding that she pick it up. Also, keep in mind that the colonialists have only ever dealt with crime and punishment in the "A" fashion.
Pearl serves several important purposes in the narrative. As the story's guide and narrator, she is essential to understanding what's going on. She aids the reader in uncovering the book's deeper meanings. She is a great help to the reader with her insightful observations and questions she poses all through the book (Edwin and Louis, 56). You may say that Pearl is a pivotal figure who is essential for the reader to grasp the author's major ideas. Pearl stands out from other kids her age in noticeable ways. As a result, she was unable to form any meaningful relationships with other members of the community. In fact, every kid who sought to befriend him was met with a grumpy tomboy who'd rather play by himself with the animals and plants in the yard. Pearl, a solitary little girl, confides in her reflection for company, which serves as a handy guidepost for the reader. Pearl is very articulate for her young age, and she has no trouble carrying on meaningful conversations with her parents or other adults. She has a complex relationship with them that most kids her age don't have, and it's clear that she's testing their limits by asking them some tough questions. This quality aids the story in conveying the author's desired themes, such as sin, guilt, and retribution.
Work Cited
Budd, Louis, and Candy, Edwin. On Hawthorne: the best from American literature. Durham. Duke University Press, 1990.
Cooper, Michael. The Scarlet Letter and Symbolism. January 2009. Retrieved on 30/07/2009. The-Scarlet-Letter-and- Symbolism&id=78659.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel, And Robinson, Herbert. The Scarlet Letter. Washington DC: Plain Label Books, 1954.
Hurst, Mary. The voice of the child in American literature: linguistic approaches to fictional child language. Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 1990.
Schmidt, Anja. Pearl’s Twilight Nature in “The Scarlet Letter”: Emblem of Sin or Self- fulfilling Prophecy?. Berlin: GRIN Verlag, 2007.
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