The Scarlet Letter Process Paper

Essay by lilbombboyJunior High, 8th grade March 2004

download word file, 1 pages 3.0

Characters physical and personality traits are portrayed on evidence in the text. In the novel The Scarlet Letter the character Pearl is portrayed as the young mischievous daughter of Hester Prynne. Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays Pearl's physical trait as a spitting image of her mother but also reveals the different personally side of Pearl.

Pearl was born into a town of her mother's sin. Pearl's mother paid a huge price to obtain her. Pearl was condemned to live a life as an outcast because of her mother's scarlet letter. As Pearl began to grow she became extremely eager to unwrap her mother's secrets behind the Scarlet letter. Pearl can be cleverly seen in the novel as a bright intelligent young girl. "Dost thou know child, wherefore thy mother wears this letter? "Truly do I" answered Pearl looking brightly into her mother's face. "It is for the same reason that the minister keeps his hand over his heart!"" (Hawthorne 122).

Ironically Pearl already knew true meaning of the scarlet letter even though she has never been told anything about it. Amazingly Pearl also knew the minister's secret before anyone else in the town. Pearl speculated all the information that surrounds her to understand what is going on which is why Pearl is a smart girl for her age.

Pearl's attitude can almost be portrayed as devilish throughout the novel. Pearl seems to be cursed. At a young age it was clearly seen that Pearl is not like other children of her age. She secludes herself from the rest of the society. Pearl quotes " He did not send me! Cried she, positively, I have no Heavenly Father." (pg. 66.) Pearl points oit that she is different than the rest of the town's people including her mother. Pearl does not suffer from any guilt or torment from the sin her mother put upon her. Pearl is displayed to be an evil omen "Pearl was a demon offspring; such as ever since old Catholic times had occasionally been seen on earth through the agency of their mother's sin, and to promote some foul and wicked purpose. (pg.68) Pearl can be clearly seen as the living proof of her mother's sin.