One of the most significant writers of the romantic period in American literature was
Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne wrote stories that opposed the ideas of Transcendentalism.
Since he had ancestors of Puritan belief, Hawthorne wrote many stories about Puritan New
England. His most famous story is the Scarlet Letter. This novel tells of the punishment of a
woman, Hester Prynne, who committed adultery and gave birth to Pearl. A minister of Boston,
Arthur Dimmesdale, had an affair with Hester while believing that her husband, Roger
Chillingworth, had died. However, Chillingworth did not die and appears during the early stages
of Hester's punishment.
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the character of Pearl in the Scarlet Letter. Her
whole life had many difficulties while living in Puritan New England. Furthermore, Pearl displays
much parallelism to the scarlet letter that Hester must wear. Finally, Pearl's birth intensified the
conflicts in the novel.
The Scarlet Letter (1860) by T. H. Matteson. Oil o...
English: Hester Prynne & Pearl before the stocks
This is the title page for the first edition of Th...Clearly, Pearl becomes the symbol of all the other major characters'
tragedies.
Chronology
The character of Pearl in the Scarlet Letter lived a very difficult life. Before the novel
begins, Hester Prynne gives birth to Pearl after having an affair with Arthur Dimmesdale, a
Puritan minister. Pearl's birth proves that Hester cheated on her husband Roger Chillingworth
provoking the stories action. The novel opens with the people of Boston staring and laughing at
Hester holding Pearl while standing on the town's scaffold. At this time, Pearl is three months
old. Years later Hester gets released from jail and lives with Pearl in the outskirts of town. Since
Hester becomes alienated from Boston, Pearl turns into 'her mother's only treasure!' (Hawthorne
76). Hester makes bright red clothes for Pearl that parallel the scarlet 'A.' At age three, Pearl
endures many laughs and jokes from other Puritan children...