Paper
Pearl in The Scarlet Letter What is the greatest sin that can be committed by a human being? Is it murder, robbery, or something else? There is no exact answer to this question, it depends on one’s own perception of sin. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a woman by the name of Hester Prynne is condemned for committing a sin, which is adultery. The townspeople, who are Puritans, considers adultery a ghastly crime that is worthy of prosecution. However, Hester does not receive the death penalty because the Massachusetts magistracy were sympathetic towards her. They summoned her only to stand on a public scaffold for three hours and to wear the letter A for the rest of her life. But, this is not the only mark that she has to wear. She gave birth to a child, which is the product of her sin. This child will serve as Hester s other mark of her sin. Hawthorne endorses this child with some important symbols, and in these symbols, he conveys deeper and more complex meanings. Pearl, as the child is named, is utilized by Hawthorne as a treasure, a symbol of Hester’s sin, and as a representation of God s punishment and mercy. Pearl is perceived as a treasure, of the rarest and most precious kind. “Pearl, as being of great price,-purchased with all she had,-her mother’s only treasure!” (Pg. 82) Hester paid a great price for Pearl, the price of isolation, humility, and guilt. The townspeople would not have acknowledged Hester s sin if she did not become pregnant with Pearl. Hester is seen as a outcast among the townspeople, and Pearl is now Hester’s only companion, her only reason to live, her only treasure. There is nothing in this world that Hester deems as more important than her child, for this child is the bond that binds her life together, without Pearl, she has no one left to love, and no one who will love her back (disregarding Dimmesdale, the man she committed adultery with) Pearl is also described as a magnificently beautiful child. “…that there was an absolute circle of radiance around her, on the darksome cottage floor.” (Pg. 83) Her physical appearance is described similar to the appearance of treasure. She radiates a glow around her, similar to how treasure radiates its brilliance. Although treasure is a wonderful earthly possession, it has its own hidden malice, for it can lead to avarice. Comparable to treasure, Pearl is very beautiful and enchanting, but she is quite cold-hearted and even evil in her outwardly attitude towards other people. Throughout the novel, Pearl is constantly referred to a symbol of Hester’s sin, as the scarlet letter that Hester wears. In one scene, Pearl is dressed in red and gold, the colors of the scarlet letter. It was the scarlet letter endowed with life! The mother herself–as if the red ignominy were so deeply scorched into her brain that all her conceptions assumed its form to create an analogy between the object of her affection and the emblem of her guilt and torture. (Pg. 93) It is probable that Hester transformed Pearl into the scarlet letter in order to punish herself. Pearl does not seem to know the true meaning of the scarlet letter, but she must know that the letter is a form of evilness, for she asks Hester if the scarlet letter is a mark of the Black Man. Pearl is shown as a stronger form of the scarlet letter, for she is endowed with life, and can be able to punish her mother by action. When Hester takes off her scarlet letter and throws it into the brook, it is Pearl who demanded her to put it back on. but stamping its foot, wildly gesticulating, and, in the midst of all, still pointing its small forefinger at Hester s bosom! (Pg. 193) When Hester throws away the letter, she is also throwing Pearl away, for Pearl is the scarlet letter. Pearl becomes angry because without the scarlet letter, Hester cannot reach salvation. Hester must abide by the scarlet letter until God has ended the term of punishment, and Pearl is there to remind Hester of her duty to wear the scarlet letter. Therefore, Pearl, as a symbol of her mother s sin, and can also help her mother reach salvation.
God punishes all sinners, but he is also merciful. God may have sent Pearl to Hester as a punishment, but also at the same time, as a gift of compassion. Pearl is utilized as imp-like, who does not seem to possess the knowledge of human sorrow, and Hester becomes frightened of her child. It hardly seemed that Pearl was sent from God, but by the devil. Hawthorne may have purposely characterized Pearl in this way to show that God has punished Hester by sending her a child that is incapable of understanding human feelings. Sometimes Hester would drop to the ground and cry out, O Father in Heaven, if Thou art still my Father, what is this being which I have brought into the world! (Pg. 88) Hester is suffering from deep pains because of Pearl s indifference to human sorrow. She is afraid that Pearl will never learn to be compassionate. Hester realizes that because of her sin, some sort of evil must have possessed Pearl. To discern here, a shadow of reflection of the evil that had existed in herself. All this enmity and passion had Pearl inherited, by inalienable right, out of Hester s heart. (Pg. 87) It tortures Hester that Pearl is this way, hostile and capricious. However, this torture changes into God s mercy. It is an act of mercy that Pearl is put on earth to torture Hester, for without Pearl, Hester may have abandoned the scarlet letter at the brook. If she had, she will never achieve redemption. Hester would have sold her soul to the devil if Pearl was not by her side, reminding Hester to wear the scarlet letter. At the end of the novel, as a final act of mercy, God gives Pearl human qualities. The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father s cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and sorrow .Towards her mother too, Pearl s errand as a messenger of anguish was all fulfilled. (Pg. 233) The truth has been revealed , and God will now forgive them all. God frees Dimmesdale from his guilt, Hester from her scarlet letter, and Pearl from her errand as a messenger of anguish. Pearl is no longer the scarlet letter, and she is freed from her position as a messenger of anguish. Pearl creates many impressions to the reader. She is dynamic, forever changing her moods and feelings. These moods and feelings create a sense of mystery surrounding the child, for the reader never knows what Pearl is feeling or thinking. By utilizing Pearl as a treasure, a symbol of Hester s sin, and a representation of God s punishment and mercy, the reader may be able to understand why Pearl is important to the development of the novel. By focusing in the novel s deeper meanings, one should realize that Pearl is the scarlet letter, the punishment for Hester, and also plays a part in Hester s salvation. Hawthorne ingeniously combines all this into Pearl, making Pearl one of his strongest and most valuable symbols.
Другие работы по теме:
Scarlet Letter 2 Essay Research Paper Scarlet
Scarlet Letter 2 Essay, Research Paper Scarlet Letter – Punishment and Death Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter deals with many themes, among those including punishment and death. Utilizing the theme of punishment, the
Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper The Letter
Scarlet Letter Essay, Research Paper The Letter A The novel The Scarlet Letter was set in the Massachusetts Bay colony in the 17th century. Hester Prynne, her illegitimate daughter Pearl, her ex-husband Roger, and the
Beautiful Disasters Pearl As Essay Research
Paper Sometimes beauty is found in places as unexpected as a rosebush growing outside of a prison in a puritan colonial village. Pearl Prynne is an unearthly beautiful child with a with spirit born under unimaginably sinful conditions, all of which are somehow related to the ideas, actions, and views of others on
The Manifestation Of Sin Essay Research Paper
The Scarlet Letter is a book of much symbolism. One of the most complex and misunderstood symbols in the book is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne. Throughout the story Pearl develops into a prominent symbol of the “A”. In this essay the example of symbolism Pearl comes to represent will be explained.
The Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper
“The Scarlet Letter” was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1828. “The Scarlet Letter” portrayed the punishment suffered by two individuals who committed adultery in a Puritan society and their struggle to deal with their sins. Throughout the novel Hawthorne uses Pearl to serve as a constant reminder to Hester and Dimmesdale of their sin.
Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper I read
Scarlet Letter Essay, Research Paper I read The Scarlet Letter and I failed the Accelerated Reader test. It was worth __ points and the reading level was ___. In this story Hester was an adulteress and had to wear a scarlet letter because she wouldn?t admit to whom she had the affair with. Her daughter was Pearl and her father was Dimmesdale.
Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper The story
Scarlet Letter Essay, Research Paper The story The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne this story takes place on puritan times, is about Hester Prynne who commits the act of adultery and has to b punished for her sin. Out of all the characters in the story, Hester suffers the most for one, she must wear the scarlet “A”.
How The Scarlet Letter Is Relevant To
Today’s Teen Essay, Research Paper How The Scarlet Letter is Relevant to Today’s Teenage ParentsNathaniel Hawthorn’s The Scarlet Letter is set in Boston, Massachusetts, a Puritan community in the 1600’s. Hester Prynne comes to the community as a young woman married to an older man. She lives in Boston for two years while her husband, know to us as Roger Chillingworth, makes his voyage from England.
Changing Views Of The Letter A Essay
, Research Paper The perception of Hester’s A has changed throughout the novel. In the beginning, the scarlet letter on her chest was a symbol of her sin. It was intended to be part of her punishment by providing her
Symbolisim The Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper
In the Scarlet Letter, the author uses many different types of symbols. The different settings of the story are ways in which he describes his environment and how it has treated him as a child. One symbol he uses a lot was the scarlet letter. The scarlet letter takes on different meanings as the course of the story progresses.
The Scaffold Essay Research Paper The ScaffoldThe
The Scaffold Essay, Research Paper The Scaffold The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is characterized by three major events that occur on the town scaffold. What takes place on this platform will determine the path which the
Where The Blame Falls Essay Research Paper
Where The Blame Falls We go threw our lives hoping to do the right thing for ourselves and the right thing for others. Through our lives we take the blame for many things and sometimes we get the blame pushed upon us. This is shown in the book, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hester, Pearl, Chillingworth, and Dimmesdale are two of the main characters.
The Symbolic Pearl Essay Research Paper Most
The Symbolic Pearl Essay, Research Paper Most novels usually have a main symbol, which teaches a character, or the reader, a very important lesson or moral. This is true in Nathaniel Hawthorne s classic The Scarlet Letter, where Hester Prynne s daughter Pearl serves as the most extensive living symbol in the entire novel.
Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper Light and
Scarlet Letter Essay, Research Paper Light and Darkness in The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, felt that the Puritans were people who believed that the world was a place where the battle between good and evil was a never-ending one. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne uses the symbols of light and dark to depict this battle among the characters Hester Prynne, Pearl, and Roger Chillingworth.
Hester Prynne In
‘the Scarlet Letter’ Essay, Research Paper In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne and her daughter Pearl are isolated from society; this is shown by where they live, the action from people toward
Scarlet Letter Who Should Punish A Sinner
? Religion, Society, Or Individuals Essay, Research Paper Scarlet Letter: Who Should Punish A Sinner? Religion, Society, or Individuals Who should punish a sinner? Should it be religion, society, or the
Th Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper The
Th Scarlet Letter Essay, Research Paper The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the heroine is admired becuase of her strong will, and disregard for other’s views of her.
Scatlet Essay Research Paper The Scarlet Letter
Scatlet Essay, Research Paper The Scarlet Letter Argumentative Essay Nathaniel Hawthorne found a scarlet letter in an old custom house. This is where he came up with the idea for The Scarlet Letter. The Scarlet Letter caused much greif for each of the three Characters: Hester Prynne, Author Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth.
The Scarlet Letter 4 Essay Research Paper
The Scarlet Letter Hyatt Waggoner, a noted Hawthorne scholar, says, “The Scarlet Letter is Hawthorne s most widely read and admired novel and is also the one that has inspired the most inconclusive debate . . .” (Waggoner 118). Much of the trouble in interpreting The
Symbolism Of Peal In The Scarlet Letter
Essay, Research Paper The Scarlet Letter is a book of much symbolism. One of the most complex and misunderstood symbols in the book is Peal, the daughter of Hester Prynne. Pearl, throughout the story, developes into a dynamic symbol- one that is always changing. As the novel progresses, Pearl grows older, and it’s easy for the reader to want to explore some of the symbolism which Pearl comes to represent throughout the novel.
Pearl As A Symbol Essay Research Paper
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s the Scarlet Letter, Pearl, is a symbol of sin and adultery in the sense that she leads Dimmsdale and Hester to their confession and the acceptance of their sins. A beauitful daughter of the towns adulturist has somtimes demon like traits. She is also the only living symblol of the scarlet letter “A”.
Changes In Hester Prynne Essay Research Paper
The child, Pearl, is “a blessing and as a reminder of her sin.” As if the scarlet A were not enough punishment there “was a brat of that hellish breed” which would remind Hester of what happened in the past. The “brat” could have been given away to Governor Bellingham yet Hester proclaimed that Pearl “is my happiness!…Ye shall not take her! I will die first!” Not a person in Boston, nor Hester herself thought highly of the little child and Hester refused to let Pearl go.
Scarletletter Symbolism Essay Research Paper The Scarlet
Scarletletter Symbolism Essay, Research Paper The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many things for symbolism and in my opinion the most symbolic were the scaffold scenes. There are a total of three scaffold scenes and each has its own purpose and meaning. Without the scaffold scenes this book would basically leave you clueless to what was really going on because the scaffold scenes really tell you what is going on and why.
The Three Scaffold Scenes Of The Scarlett
Letter Essay, Research Paper The Scaffold In The Scarlet Letter, Hester committed adultery. The story deals with the revelation of her lover, the Reverend Dimmesdale. A significant part of the book is the scaffold which is a raised platform used as a place where people who have committed a crime and were forced to stand.
The Symbolism Of The Scarlet Letter
’s Pearl Essay, Research Paper The Scarlet Letter is a book of much symbolism. One of the most complex and misunderstood symbols in the book is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne. Pearl, throughout the story, develops into a dynamic symbol – one that is always changing. In the following essay, I will explore some of the symbolism which Pearl came to represent throughout the novel.
Pearl
’s Contribution To The Scarlet Letter Essay, Research Paper Pearl’s Contribution to the Scarlet Letter In Hawthorne’s epic novel, The Scarlet Letter he discusses Pearl, a
Scarlet Letter 2
Scarlet Letter – Dimmesdale Analysis Essay, Research Paper The Scarlet Letter – Dimmesdale Analysis Character Analysis : Dimmesdale Dimmesdale is one of the most intriguing characters in The Scarlet Letter. I think this because he demonstrates in this story that he is a coward, and that he is strong, yet not courageous.
The Living Symbol Of The Scarlet Letter
Essay, Research Paper The Living Symbol of the Scarlet LetterThe Scarlet Letter A, worn by Hester Prynne, was a punishment for the immoral sin of adultery she had committed. Hester was forced to wear the letter upon her bosom for the rest of her life. Following Hester’s act of adultery, she became pregnant with a baby girl whom she named Pearl. “Pearl was a born outcast of the infantile world.
The Significance Of The Scarlet Letter 2
The Significance Of The Scarlet Letter “A” Essay, Research Paper The Significance of the Scarlet Letter ?A?. Hawthorne?s The Scarlet Letter deals with many motifs, the most powerful being punishment. In this novel, Hester Prynne becomes a highly respected person in a Puritan society by overcoming one of the harshest punishments, the scarlet letter.
The Scarlet Letter Vice Or Virtue Essay
, Research Paper The Scarlet Letter, Vice or Virtue? Hawthorn’s Novel, The Scarlet Letter, is brimming with many vivid symbols, the most apparent of which is the scarlet letter “A”, that Hester Prynne is made to wear upon her chest. Throughout the novel, hawthorn presents the scarlet letter to the reader in a variety of ways.
Scarlet Letter As A Symbol Essay Research
Paper The Scarlet Letter As a Symbol Often throughout The Scarlet Letter there are symbolic references made. The story deals with a Puritan woman who commits adultery and raises an illegitimate child named Pearl. The author, Nathanial Hawthorne, uses many religious and natural images to symbolize different points.
Pearl Is The Scarlet Letter Essay Research
Paper Pearl is the living embodiment of the scarlet letter because she forces Hester and Dimmesdale to accept their sins. The Puritan society looks at Pearl as a child of the devil, and a black hearted girl because she is the result of sin. Hester and Dimmesdale are both in the same situation in Pearl?s eyes. Pearl wants Hester to realize that she is not the worst person in the world before she removes the scarlet letter.