The Character Of Pearl

In the Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne sets the scene in an old Puritan society where sin is looked down upon. However, the main characters in the novel are connected through the sin of adultery. Pearl is the daughter of the two sinners, Hester and Dimmesdale. In the novel, Hawthorne depicts Pearl as a sense of hope while using her as a device to magnify the image of the scarlet letter to Hester and serve as a physical reminder of Dimmesdale's sin.

In the novel, Pearl serves as a symbol of hope to both Hester and Dimmesdale. "Dear little Pearl wilt thou kiss me now? Thou wouldst not, yonder, in the forest! But now thou wilt?' Pearl kissed his lips" (Hawthorne 229). When Pearl kisses Dimmesdale on the lips, this signifies an acceptance of Dimmesdale as her father. Earlier, Pearl would not accept Dimmesdale because he did not confess his sin, however, after Pearl kisses him there is the hope of going to heaven. "[...]. Had they taken her from me, I would willingly have gone wit thee into the forest, and signed my name in the Black Man's book too, and that with mine own blood!" (107). When Hester argues for the custody of her own child, she states that Pearl is the only thing that keeps her going. When Hester rejects Mistress Hibbin's offer, it symbolizes the role Pearl plays in saving Hester from falling into the grasps of Satan himself. Therefore, Pearl serves as a symbol of hope to both Hester and Dimmesdale.

Pearl plays on the conscience of Hester by magnifying the image of the scarlet letter. "She (Pearl) amused herself with gathering handfuls of wild-flowers, and flinging them, one by one, at her mother's bosom; dancing up and down, like a little elf, whenever she hit the scarlet letter" (89). In her early years as a baby, the first image Pearl sees is of the scarlet letter and always thinks of it as an outlet of entertainment. This constant referral to the scarlet letter greatly amplifies the effect of the scarlet letter on Hester. Pearl also troubles the conscience of her mother by asking very personal questions about her father and other things relevant to Hester's sin of adultery. Pearl inquires so much about these personal affairs because she is still an innocent and very perceptive young child. These questions torment Hester so greatly that she begins to believe Pearl is possessed by an evil spirit. Pearl plays a big role in constantly reminding Hester of her sin and causing the scarlet