"The Scarlet Letter" is a book with 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 Pearl
             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. 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 other hand,
             God's treatment of Hester for her sin was quite different than just a
             physical token: he gave Hester the punishment of a very unique child
             which she named Pearl. This punishment handed down from God was a
             constant mental and physical reminder to Hester of what she had done
             wrong, and she could not escape it. In this aspect, Pearl symbolized
             God's way of punishing Hester for adultery.
             The way Hester's life was ruined for so long was the ultimate
             price that Hester paid for Pearl. With Pearl, Hester's life was one
             almost never filled with joy, but instead a constant nagging. Pearl
             would harass her mother over the scarlet "A" which she wore. Pearl
             would also make her own "A" to wear, and sometimes she played games
             with her mother's, trying to hit it with rocks. 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. So, in this case, Pearl
             symbolized the decimation of Hester's life and mental state.
             Although Hester had so much trouble with Pearl, she still felt
             that Pearl was her treasur...