Scarlet Letter
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 In The Scarlet Letter, Hester, for her sins, received a scarlet letter, "A" which she had to wear upon her chest. This was the Puritan way of treating her as a criminal, for the crime of adultery ' At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne's forehead.' (Pg. 59) This is how some people felt about her punishment. The Puritan treatment continued, because as Hester would walk through the streets, she would be looked down upon as if she were some sort of demon from Hell that committed a terrible crime. This would give her much mental anguish and grief. On the oth
With Pearl, Hester's life was one almost never filled with joy, but instead a constant nagging. Pearl really was the scarlet letter, because if Pearl had never been born, Hester would have never been found guilty of adultery, and thus never would have had to wear that burden upon her chest. When Hester would go into the town with Pearl, the other children would make fun of her, and Pearl would yell and throw dirt at them. One final way in which Pearl symbolized something in the novel was with her association with the scarlet letter. From being a rose, to representing the scarlet letter "A", she was a kind of burden, yet love for Hester. 171) Little Pearl is opposite of what people think, she's a playful little girl. In this aspect, Pearl symbolized God's way of punishing Hester for adultery. So, in this case, Pearl symbolized the decimation of Hester's life and mental state. In closing, Pearl was a source of many different kinds of symbolism. Without that burden, Hester would have led a much better life then the one she had throughout the novel. 91) Pearl was really the only thing that Hester had in life, and if Pearl wasn't in Hester's life, Hester would almost surely have committed suicide. Pearl would harass her mother over the scarlet "A" which she wore 'Mother dear, what does this scarlet letter mean?-and why dost thou wear it on they bosom?-and why does the minister keep his hand over his heart?' Pearl would also make her own "A" to wear, and sometimes she played games with her mother's, trying to hit it with rocks.
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Acceptance Essays
