The Scarlet Letter - Pearl's Tantrum

             In the novel The Scarlet Letter, the main character Hester Prynne is punished for committing adultery with a minister named Arthur Dimmesdale and is forced to wear the letter A on one side of her chest as part of her punishment. Hester's daughter Pearl (the result of Hester's transgression) has grown used to seeing her mother wear the embroidered letter A and has never seen her without it. Later in the novel, Hester removes the scarlet letter in relief of her and Arthur Dimmesdale's new plans. Hester's removal of the scarlet letter yields a bad reaction within Pearl as she sees her mother without the scarlet letter. There are many reasons why Pearl has a bad reaction to the absence of the scarlet letter.
             One reasonable explanation of why Pearl has a tantrum is because she has attached the letter A to her mother. When Pearl finds the letter near a brook she becomes confused and does not know what to think. Pearl states that she does know the purpose of the scarlet letter when Hester asks her (Hawthorne 122). However, since Pearl reacts poorly to seeing her mother without the scarlet letter implies that she does not fully understand the true meaning and purpose of it. This is one reason why Pearl throws a temper tantrum in the absence of the scarlet letter.
             Another reason why Pearl has a tantrum when encountering the missing scarlet letter is not so much because the scarlet letter is gone, but because Hester is directing her attention more towards Arthur Dimmesdale than to her. For once in approximately seven years, Hester has really let her hair down and has a certain resplendent complexion than compared to before. When Pearl sees this she is reluctant to go towards Hester and Arthur because someone else is occupying Hester for a change. As Hester removes the scarlet letter from her bosom, she feels a sense of relief and relaxation (Hawthorne 143). The fact that Hester has another person occupying her time other than Pearl may be...

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The Scarlet Letter - Pearl's Tantrum. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 06:27, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/23787.html