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In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne develops the character of Pearl as purely a symbol that stands for the punishment of Hester Prynne in order to emphasize the contrasting effects of her crime against the Puritan Society. Pearl rarely says anything, and merely serves as an object that Hester uses to represent what her punishment means. This is first evident when the Governor and Mr. Dimmesdale are considering if she should keep the child, and Hester says, “She is my happiness! – she is my torture, none the less!” The contrasting diction is what helps to best emphasize Hawthorne’s point, as Pearl not only serves as a reminder of the sin that she committed and feels bad about, but also as a demonstration of her courage to break away from society and not conform to Puritan ideals. “Happiness” and “torture” are words that have contrasting denotations and connotations, revealing the extent to which Pearl inflicts pain and joy onto her mother. Pearl helps to develop Hester as a character who is very unsure of her role in society, or if she even belongs in it.
ReplyDeleteHawthorne does not stop there, this time juxtaposing Pearl and the biggest symbol of the story, the scarlet letter. He does this by flat out saying, “Se ye not, she is the scarlet letter…,” in the context of yelling at those in power who gave that letter to her in the first place and do not understand what it means to her. They do not realize that the letter represents shame and pride at the same time, something which Hester is completely fine with. The leaders of this Puritan society urge her to see that it is only meant to degrade and humiliate her, but she refuses to accept these views. Instead, she continues to firmly believe that Pearl and the scarlet letter are the only things keeping her “…here in life…,” and remains a defiant, non-conforming Romantic character.
One of the most interesting things about these two chapters is Hawthorn’s continued development of Pearl, both as a character and as a veritable representation of Hester’s punishment One person in the class, I forget who, said that Pearl is less of a character than she is a general symbol, and they may have been right, to an extent. Pearl is described as “the scarlet letter endowed with life” which, considering the various meanings and transformations of the letter, is fairly accurate. Much like the letter, Pearl is flagrantly gaudy in a way impossible to cover up, is abnormally noticeable to all around her, and, most obviously, is a product of Hester’s affair. More interestingly, Pearl also mirrors the letter’s new role as Hester’s moral motivation, as Hester remarks to a witch that, were it not for the little girl, she would “sign [her] name in the Black Man’s book” that very day. Much as the letter prevents her from sinning further and compels her to do charity, Pearl keeps her grounded in the society around her.
ReplyDeletePearl also begins to serve as a complete antagonist to the society around her: she is coarse, vivid, highly individual, and completely unaware of social graces. A few of these qualities also present Romantic ideals, but that belongs in a separate analysis. Pearl is even incapable of expressing religion, as rather than tell the minister that she was made by god, as her mother believes, she says instead that she was “plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses”, a vaguely pagan standpoint on her existence. This exclamation, combined with the repeated descriptions of her as a demon or “elf-child”, present her as being almost outside of Christianity entirely, an ungodly person. Pearl’s closeness to Dimmsdale, meanwhile, should not be seen as an exception to her heretical tendencies, but an indicator of future revelations.
I am absolutely astonished by ignorance and false sense of superiority of ministers in chapter “The Elf-Child and the Minister”. First of all, these three or four men have established themselves really high in the society. Their opinion is highly valued in all town’s affairs and they benefit from this kind of magnitude. For example, Governor’s home is a luxurious place with many expensive things in it. Hawthorne describes various paintings, “steel headpiece, a cuirass”, various literature from England, “glittered panoply”. His wealth seems to give him, or at least his house, illumination since Hawthorne constantly employs words like “sunshine” and “illuminated”.
ReplyDeleteHowever, his personality is quite different from his house. Hawthorne uses word “rigid” and “severe” to described him. His views are very conservative and he is ready to take the last piece of happiness from a “fallen” woman. This might be Hawthorne criticism of wealth- it might illuminate your house but not your soul. He and his colleagues are also seem to lack sympathy. For example, when Hester makes a pledge to keep her Pearl because she learns from a shame of her scarlet letter, stern magistrate says that, “.. the stain of that letter indicates, that we would transfer thy child to other hands.” This absolutely doesn’t make sense- person is supposed to learn from his mistakes and become a better person. However, these supposebly “wise” magistrates claim that one mistake destroys person’s entire life- there is no way to redeem oneself.
Passionate arguments made by Hester do not satisfy magistrates as if her opinion isn’t smart enough for them to consider. Instead the youngest minister (who I think is the father) helps her out. Only then they understand her argument. This indicates lack of sympathy and understanding- crucial aspects of judges.
As a last detail of hypocrisy, Hawthorne describes Governor’s sister who was regarded as a witch. However, because of her blood relationship to the leader of the society, she doesn’t have to wear any marks or be deprived of society.
Nathaniel Hawthorne starkly contrasts purity and impurity to emphasize the clashing characters residing within the Puritan society. Since the introduction of Pearl, she has been presented as having a ‘beauty that shone’ bright. So bright that it captures the eyes of the supposed innocent and look upon the result of a sin. Her beauty, the embodiment of a trait meant for the pure, surpassed those who were deemed innocent, demonstrating who was actually pure. Hawthorne creates her to be so out of context to the rest, that upon her meeting with the Governor and Minister, they deem her to be of ‘witchcraft’ due to her vivid ‘imagination’. Who she was, her personality, completely went against what the leaders represented, the conformity of one's self. This in turn, results in the child, who from ancient history, represents purity, actually be deemed as a being from the underworld. As Hester and Pearl gaze upon the structure of the Governor's home, its outsides were entirely ‘crumbling to decay’ and rather ‘melancholy’.This dark detail illustrates the aesthetic appearance of the home in order to criticize the leaders of the town. Additionally, the light that comes into the home ‘powerfully illuminates’ the excessive material items that resides within the home. The hypocrisy in the society was discovered in the light; the governor and the minister did not enforce the original law about overindulging, yet they reinforced what they found convenient. Nevertheless, the rosebush which survives and sees all of the society, lives within the land of the Governor. Pearl sees this bush and immediately starts to ‘cry for a red rose’. A rose, standing for beauty, only shows its compassion for those who are wrongfully punished. Yet, it does not appeal to the townspeople. Pearl, a babe, yearns to have a rose, unlike the townspeople who overlook it. Her purity resonates with the meaning of the rosebush, both being a state of morality in a corrupt society and compassion for those who sinned.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter seven, “The Governor’s Hall” of his book, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne displays Pearl as a heavenly figure brought to correct the misdeeds of her generation. He juxtaposes the darkness of a Puritan child’s blind hate towards Hester with the light of Pearl attempting to drive them off. She acted as their “scarlet fever” and caused them all to retreat. This diction is significant because the scarlet fever was a serious illness in the historical context of the story which wreaked havoc in children’s lives. Furthermore, Hawthorne writes that Pearl acted as an “angel of judgement” referring to her as light imagery which symbolizes the heavenly position she has on the earth. She must become a judge to those who have sinned. She caused the “hearts of the fugitives to quake”, which somehow equates her to God; he has given her the power to make a group of people who seem to be her age, to tremble in fear before her angered presence. Hawthorne wants us to understand that Pearl is like a Goddess in training, honing her talents among the mortals and those who seem to be her peers before she can grow up and grasp her true destiny.
ReplyDeleteChapter 8, “The Elf-Child and the Minister”, reveals Pearl in a more romantic light than previous chapters. In these pages, she is mentioned as a “wild tropical bird”. This refers to the Emersonian romantic ideal of independence and being free. Birds are often used to describe people who are happy and free. To add on, she is specified as a ‘tropical’ bird, the types of birds who have “rich plumage” which might signify the reader that Emersonian romantics are best depicted as innocent children such as Pearl. Hawthorne desires his reader to view Pearl as a Goddess because she is depicted as this perfect image of a person who has both a sense of justice and freedom.
In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne removes Pearl from the human realm and makes her more of a demonic entity. She is often described, by the adults, as an “imp” disguised as a child and is even mistaken for a child “of the Lord of Misrule.” Hawthorne contrasts this description with Pearl’s “rich and luxuriant beauty.” By doing this he completely separates Pearl from the puritan community and their values. Pearl is a complex individual which the Puritans cannot fully understand. The puritan community does not associate itself with demonic things or with beauty. Pearl is the embodiment of both of the things that the puritans have rejected. This is emphasized by the fact that society has literally outcasted Pearl. When kids in the town see her, their first reaction is to “fling mud” at her and her mother.
ReplyDeleteHawthorne further removes Pearl from being an actual person by making her “the scarlet letter endowed with life.” The young girl is the literal representation of Hester’s sin and guilt. However, Hawthorne contrasts this image with Pearl’s appearance. The scarlet color of her dress was “admirably adapted to [her] beauty [making] her the brightest little jet of flame that ever danced upon the earth.” The scarlet dress makes Pearl stand out from everyone else in the town, highlighting her individuality and differences. By contrasting these images, Hawthorne seems to be suggesting that sin is a natural part of human nature, just like a child is, and therefore it is beautiful. He critiques the puritans for rejecting this part of life. By not acknowledging their sin, the puritans are also refusing to recognize their individuality.
Although Hawthorne believes strongly believes in individuality he is critical of the Emersonian idea of isolation. Hawthorne seems to believe that too much isolation is dangerous for an individual. Being in a complete state of isolation leads to “blacker depths of sin” involving Satan. Hester does not sign herself over to the devil because she is able to keep the companionship of her daughter. Hawthorne is implying that world is much more complex than Emerson or the Puritans try to convey it. Individuals cannot just isolate themselves, as Emerson states, because they deny themselves of living a fulfilling life. However, they can not completely ignore their individuality for the sake of an institution because they will also fail to find importance in their life. Hawthorne seems to be making the point that life is complex and the only true way to enjoy it is to accept the things that happen naturally, whether they be sinful or pure.
In the chapter “The Governor’s Ball,” Hawthorne quickly illustrate several ideas using symbolism through the use of the mirror and how this particular object reveals certain characteristics about both Hester and Pearl. Hawthorne specifically uses juxtaposition contrasting this idea of light and dark or good and evil. Hester has been dressed beautifully as well as Pearl, “Very brightest little jet of flame that ever danced upon the earth." This reveals that Hester wants to set a better example for the Governor, that Pearl should not be judged because of her mother's mistakes and how they stand out as two normal beautiful people in the Puritan community. In reality Hester is more interested if the rumors are true or false, about whether they will take her daughter away from her. These beginning actions are a symbolism of good but this is where Hawthorne uses juxtaposition with good and evil, as they see this mirror that reveals their irregularities and how they actually are seen by others in the town. Hester looks into the mirror and sees the scarlet letter, “exaggerate and gigantic proportions, so as to be greatly the most prominent feature of her appearance." This tells us the reader that this letter will represent her as a person and will make her look dishonest. Pearl is seen in the mirror and revealed to be “naughty merriment” and looks like an “Imp.” This explains to us that Hester still gets a feeling that her daughter is somehow related to the devil as an imp is a harsh and demonic way to describe someone. Readers clearly see how Hawthorne use juxtaposition to first show the good in how they dress and then contrast it with evil seen in the mirror, how in reality they are viewed by others. Which they are seen as demonic and a sin that people should avoid.
ReplyDeleteThe parallels between Pearl and the scarlet letter seem to only grow as the books progresses. The most obvious of these parallels is the look of both Pearl and the letter. Pearl wears a “crimson” tunic that is embroidered with gold thread, this paired with her “luxuriant beauty” makes her strongly stand out against the dark muted colors of the puritan society. This description of her is near identical to that of the letter, both the child and the letter serve as symbols to Hester and the rest of there town. They are reminders of the ‘sin’ that she has committed, the meaning of the letter and the child make it all the more significant there looks. Hester was the one to design the letter and to dress Pearl, she chose to make both stand out, this suggests that she is not shammed by the act of what she has done and has accepted that they are her burdens.
ReplyDeleteThe other symbol that Pearl seems to be closely related to is that of the rosebush. The rosebush that was first described outside the prison door was seen as the opposite to the prison and of puritanical views as a whole. Unlike the prison which by nature was confining, the flower was wild and colorful. This idea of the rosebush as being the counter to puritanism continue with Pearls interactions with roses. The first of these comes when she is first entering the governor's home and is shown a rose. She begins to cry out for one demanding that she be able to take it. This demonstrates Pearls denial of puritanical values, she want to have the freedom of the rose but is being confined in the society she was born. The second mentioning of the rose is during the questioning. The men ask Pearl who created her expecting that she will say god, however when she finally answers she claims that she was plucked from a “bush of wild roses”. This cements her as being against puritanism. She refuses to accept there beliefs going as far to say that she was created from the very thing that is seen as the opposite of puritanism. Much like the flower she is wild and unrestrained.
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ReplyDeleteIn the chapters “The Governor’s Hall,” and “The Elf-Child and the minister,” Nathaniel Hawthorne develops more insight into Pearl’s character. Previously, we have observed that she represents more of a symbol rather than a full-fledged character. This concept is further fleshed out. First of all, we see that that she possesses beauty through individualism (hence the scarlet coloring of her clothing) just like her mother. Hester had literally crafted Pearl like her own canvas, based off of her own stigma: “...had allowed the gorgeous tendencies of her imagination their full play...the scarlet letter endowed with life!...the red ignominy were so deeply scorched into her brain that all her conceptions assumed its form…” Shortly after, as they head for the governor’s house, they are humiliated and ridiculed by a group of children, as the Puritan society views them as “demon” and “demon-offspring.” Both Hester and Pearl scare them off. More importantly, it appeared as if Pearl were trying to be like her mother, further adding to her character. It is not until Hester and Pearl see Pearl reflection that Hester finally realizes that Pearl has essentially become one with the stigma: “...if it could not be the image of her own child, but of an imp who was seeking to mold itself into Pearl’s shape.” This concept of Pearl being a symbol once again surfaces when the governor asks her “who made thee?” Pearl states that she was “plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses.” The very same rosebush that was referred to during “The Prison Door.” An interesting point to note is that Romantics such as Emerson viewed children as the only truly pure beings of any society because they have not yet been tainted by others. Throughout these two chapters, Hester is “corrupting” and shaping her innocent child into believing otherwise of Puritan ideals.
ReplyDeleteThe Governor's Hall of the Scarlet Letter is set in Governor Bellingham's mansion. In the description of the mansion, Hawthorne personifies the house, saying that apart from "crumbling to decay" and being mossy, it is "melancholy at heart" of the many "sorrowful and joyful occurrences, remembered or forgotten" that have taken place within the "dusky chambers." Hawthorne's use of diction to formulate a hollow image of the mansion can provide insight on the hollow nature of the Governor. Despite appearing to be a mansion befitted for "Aladdin", the stern character of a "grave old Puritan ruler" still avails. Hawthorne shortly after continues his motif of highlighting Puritan hypocrisy by mentioning that the Governor has bond-servants. Religion is meant to idealize and praise the importance of the free soul, mind, and body, however; it seems that it is only the elite that escape these beliefs. Hawthorne again emphasizes Pearl's beauty, "a beauty that [shines] with deep and vivid tints" both complex and deep. Her exaggerated description of immense beauty suggests that we should think the same of her bold individuality. Pearl's dressing in a crimson velvet tunic has made her "scarlet letter endowed with life". Pearl has become the scarlet letter, an object to of her mother's affection as well as a reminder of guilt and torture. This dichotomy illustrates the Puritan society's ability to ruin love with darkness. Nonetheless, Pearl is still a symbol of "sunshine", serving as a "half-fledged angel of judgment" who punishes the sin of those who know nothing but to judge and condemn for she sees more of the world than that. Hawthorne ends the chapter with the reappearance of the rosebush in Bellingham's garden, suggesting that he is also a crier of moral hope and frail compassion.
ReplyDeleteThe Elf-Child and the Minister focuses on the relationship between daughter and mother. Hester is faced with the possibility of losing Pearl due to her "badge of shame". Nonetheless, Hester is still sharp and fierce to react to the condemnation of the authorities by telling them that she believes the scarlet letter teaches her more than they are able to comprehend, explaining why she does not care to explain to them the lessons. Hester sees in Pearl, not the image of an "elf" or "tropical bird" but a dancing ray of sunshine that illuminates her world. Pearl's allusion to an "elf" suggests that she is mischievous, evil, a creature which opposes the values of the Puritan community. Hester's inability to see what the rest of the world sees of Pearl depicts the higher, spiritual level of a mother-daughter connection, one that cannot be tainted by the conventional nature of society. Again, hypocrite for valuing divine maternity, yet seeking to separate that same nature.
In Chapter 7 titled "The governors ball" Hawthorne illustrates "a crimson velvet tunic of a peculiar cut, abundantly embroidered with fantasies and flourishes of gold thread". Hawthorne uses this as a way to symbolize the great contrast between the stiff puritan society and the beautiful result of Hawthorne's sin ( her child Pearl, because often times we see the making of children as a beautiful thing) Pearl, carrying a object that does not match the bleakness of the society around her. Hawthorne also uses the two things to describe the object which is velvet and gold which are two colors known for their richness. Compared to the black and grey of the puritan society.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapters “"The Governor's Hall" and "The Elf-Child and the Minister" in this incredibly famous book, we see more character development of any chapter, except possibly in “The Interview”, where we are introduced to Roger Chillingworth, and we get the true view of his character, or in Pearl, where we learn more about Hester’s daughter Pearl. In this chapter, we meet two major characters, and there is substantial character development for Pearl and Hester.
ReplyDeleteThe two new characters which we meet are the Governor, or the former Governor, a rich and spiritual man. He is described as a slightly old fashioned man, who enjoys the fashions and manners of the past. He also shows some judgement for Hester. The only character that was not referenced to be judging Hester was Reverend Dimmesdale. He was described as the only person to not criticize Hester, which might suggest a kindness from him that no one else has suggested. They were both introduced promptly and concisely enough to have strong development.
When it comes to the characters actually developed, Hester and Pearl, there was a lot of the relationship between them. Pearl is a sweet girl with a strong personality, and Hester is a fearful but brave woman. Their biggest challenge comes when they are possibly going to be torn apart from one another. Hester has some serious devotion to Pearl, which bleeds through into the desperation to keep Pearl with her. They also finally deal with the fact that Pearl has been accused to be the child of the Devil, which again challenges her relationship with Hester, because that proves a risk to her safety, and that conflict causes serious and important development.
“The Governor’s Hall” dives deep into the development of Pearl’s unusual nature and the scarlet symbol. Pearl and the embroidered letter are both beautiful in a rich, sensuous way that stands in contrast to the stiffness of Puritan society. Pearl is described as being in constant motion with "rich and luxuriant beauty." She possesses fire like passion as seen in her actions. For example when Puritan children fling mud at her, she would immediately scare them off. Her “fire” would soon light out and she went back to her mother as a innocent girl. This represents her preternatural behavior despite being such a young child. Pearl is also explicitly linked to the scarlet letter in the chapter. In the chapter she was dressed in “crimson velvet tunic of a peculiar cut, abundantly embroidered with fantasies and flourishes of gold thread.” This practically represents the idea that Pearl is the scarlet letter endowed with life. This also touches upon the contradictory nature of Pearl and the symbol where Hester posses both love and burden against Pearl. This chapter has reinforces the ideal of the complication between the relationship of Hester and Pearl’s connection to the Scarlet Letter.
ReplyDeleteChapter 8, “The Elf-child and the Minister” is an very interesting chapter as it brought 4 possibly major characters into one place. Starting off the description of Governor Bellingham’s mansion symbolizes the Puritans continuous association with English culture. Not only did Bellingham base his mansion off of English buildings. He decided to bring upon English intolerance and lack of freedom to the colony. Further in the chapter, the reader are also hinted on a very important mystery of the book, the identity of Pearl’s father. Hester’s appeal to Dimessable for help and Pearl’s caressing of his hands strongly signifies Dismissable as a potential candidate.
In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne analyzes how invasive the Puritan Community is as people, particularly Governor Bellingham wants to take away Pearl from Hester due to “Christian interest.” Their is a continuing reminder that Pearl is a product of sin who should not be raised her mother. If Pearl leaves her mother and becomes influenced by the Christians she would be “capable of moral and religious growth.” It is quite surprising how the governor thinks he has so much jurisdiction over someone’s private life. Furthermore it is hard to take their legislature seriously as they had a dispute concerning the property of a pig which is absurd.
ReplyDeleteGoing further Dimmesdale believes Pearl is a “child of its father's guilt and its mother's shame" and will keep Hester from the powers of darkness. In "The Elf Child and the Minister" Governor Chillingworth’s appearance seems to be getting uglier and dark which may illustrate his desire for revenge.
Subsequently, Hawthorne develops Pearls appearance and actions through the use of dark imagery, “a beauty that shone with deep and vivid tints; a bright complexion, eyes possessing intensity...and which, in after years, would be nearly akin to black.” The dark imagery such as “tints” and “black” may symbolize the theme of her being a consequence of sin. Pearl’s appearance is also an embodiment of her mother Hester through the use of the scarlet letter. Her whole appearance is “irresistibly and inevitably reminded the beholder of the token which Hester Prynne was doomed to wear upon her bosom.” Pearl and the embroidered letter represents beauty which is a contrast to the conformative and dull Puritan society.
In the chapter "The Governor's Hall" Hawthorne equates Pearl to the scarlet letter. In this passage, Hester dresses her daughter in a crimson tunic with "flourishes of gold thread." This is similar to Hawthorne's description of Hester's letter A. The two are so similar that Pearl appears to be the letter "in another form." In other words, Pearl is another reminder of Hester's sin. She is a symbol of adultery. Almost right after Pearl begins to symbolize Hester's sin Hawthorne calls her an "angel." This is a contrast between Puritan's and Author's values. To the Puritans, Pearl represents evil, she is a reminder of what her mother has done. On the other hand, she is angelic in Hawthorne's mind. This comparison indicates that Hawthorne wants the reader to be sympathetic towards Pearl and her mother even though most of the characters are not. This contrast is another placeHawthorne questions the Puritan definition of pure and good.
ReplyDeletePearl is the embodiment of darkness. Nathaniel Hawthorne actually calls her a “demon,” which is a creature that live in eternal darkness. She was born as a punishment for Hester because she broke Puritan rules. She’s loud and seemingly violent. Pearl is literally one of the biggest pains in the neck I’ve witnessed in a work of fiction. She is the type of child to “[stamp] her foot and [shake] her little hand with a variety of threatening gestures.” I don’t think Pearl has morals -- or maybe she doesn’t understand the concept of morals. Pearls represent purity, but she is anything other than pure. I’m beginning to think that her personality is supposed to contrast with her personality. “An infant pestilence,” Hawthorne describes her. Hester may power through it, but Pearl is a disease, and she recognizes it. This is why she dresses her in “crimson velvet.” Just like the scarlet letter, Pearl is a mark of shame.There are two sides to the color red: Passion and Power (if we are ignoring the sexuality part of it). The red she wears can also be viewed as symbolizing both her and her mother’s passion, but it is also the color of blood and fire. Pearl is “dauntless,” and, therefore, ready to fight or even hurt someone, what with being a figurative demon and all.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapters read tonight, Hawthorne strikes a stark contrast between light and dark. He tends to use shadow and darkness to convey age, sin, and guilt, whereas light represents passion, innocence, and happiness. These ideas are illustrated through the descriptions of Pearl and Hester. In simplest terms, Pearl is an extremely intelligent and imaginative child, who does what she wants and enjoys what she does do. Hawthorne, however, does not put it so simply. He tends to describe Pearl and her actions that all relate to light in some way. She is fiery, and she shines brightly in her intellect and actions. Guilt, shame and sin, on the other hand are all characterized as anything dark or shadowy. This can be seen with detail about Hester, like when the clergymen entered the room, the “shadow of the curtain fell on Hester Prynne, partially concealing her”, as if views clergymen on her misdeeds are casting a shadow upon her. Further examples of sin as darkness would be from the mouth of the Governor himself, who describes her as “equally dark in the dark as to her soul.” I believe that Hawthorne is contrasting Pearl’s light to the darkness of sin to highlight Pearl’s innocence as a character. She is a child, and she has not made any mistakes or wrongdoings. As a result, she shines brightly. However, those who do commit sin are tainted, and as a result are condemned to darkness.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, I believe Hawthorne uses Pearl’s brightness to contrast with her mother, Hester’s apparent “darkness”. While Pearl is continually described as radiant and shining, Hester is always kept in the dark and shadow. I believe this contrast serves to put a block between the two characters. It has already been established previously in the book that Hester gets odd vibes from Pearl, and at times sees her as an “imp”. I believe this to be a sort of allusion to further conflicts in the book. Perhaps has Pearl grows older, the rift between her and mother increases in some way. So far, I feel this contrast to be a hint at what is to come.
I do not believe that Hester loves her daughter—Pearl. In recent chapters, Hester seems to be afraid and tortured by Pearl. This is because Pearl represents the scarlet letter; she is its proof and embodiment. On page 95 Hawthorne describes Pearl as having a “bright complexion,” and a “beauty that [is shown] with deep and vivid tints.” This implies her fiery nature and thus her mother’s decision to dress her in a “peculiarly” shaped tunic of crimson and gold tones—the same ones that are exhibited on Hester’s chest. Hester puts her child in this garb in order to help herself remember that this child is the same shame that is seen in the scarlet letter.
ReplyDeleteWhen Hester and Pearl arrive at Governor Bingham’s home, Pearl outwardly remarks a reflection of her mother. This reflection magnified the A on Hester’s chest so that when she saw herself in her reflection, she was “hidden behind it." When Pearl remarks this reflection, she is giddy and has fun with her mother’s angst. Hester’s inward negative reaction to this illustrates her fear of her daughter—she saw Pearl to be “an imp who was seeking to mould herself into Pearl’s shape.” Imp means mischievous child. Moreover, Hester Prynne sees her daughter to be a constantly changing being, at first she was perfection—hence the name Pearl—then she is seen to be disorderly and misunderstood, but now she is seen as “torturous” by her mother.
In chapter 8 titled “The Elf-Child and the Minister,” Hester argues with a group of elite men including her incognito husband in order to make sure they don’t take Pearl away from her. Hester states that Pearl keeps her “in life” and “punishes” her too. Hester argues to keep her daughter in order to remember her perceived sin, to continue to punish herself.
All in all, Hester is afraid of her daughter, and lacks pure love for her. Furthermore, she wants to hone this fear in order to punish herself for her crime of adultery.
In the chapters “The Governor’s Hall” and “The Elf Child and the Minister”, Hawthorne continues to intertwine the similarities between the scarlett letter and Pearl, creating a symbol out of a human being in the process. “The Governor’s Hall” starts to elaborate on Pearl’s symbol status by her scarlet dress that she has on, even to the officials of the Hall spouting out how she is the physical embodiment of the scarlet letter her mother has worn. Pearl has already been symbolized as a caricature of romanticism by her god-stricken attitude, making all the Puritan children run off and believing she is the devil of some sort. However, in “The Elf Child and the Minister”, Hester cried out about how Pearl is her “happiness” and her “torture” given from God himself. Romantic ideals start to come into fruition, as God is seen as an ultimate being to creatives, specifically poets and artists. As Hester is a seamstress that creates art through her clothes, she is showing devotion to God. The scarlet letter also represents the ideal of self-expression and non-conformity, especially in a strict society, such as the Puritans. Pearl, as stated before, is the physical embodiment of the scarlet letter, therefore she represents the non-conforming side. Pearl also wears a dress created by her mother, so she depicts the all-accompanying romantic polarizing the Puritan society she is based in. This is a problem, as Puritans are all about conformity, so they will try their best to rid themselves of any “loose ends”, such as Pearl, as shown by the attempt to take Pearl away from Hester.
ReplyDeleteThe contrast of light and darkness is constantly being used throughout The Scarlet Letter, and more so in the chapters 'The Governor's Hall', and 'The Elf-Child and the Minister'. These two passages developed the character of Hester's daughter, Pearl. Pearl's features and her tendencies are constantly being juxtaposed, as she is always seen as physically beautiful, yet also "impish", which is not meant in a compliment. This contrast begins to reveal Pearls 'light' and 'dark' qualities. By describing Pearl as having "hair already of a deep, glossy brown, and which, in after years, would be nearly akin to black." Hawthorne suggests that Pearl is going to inevitably become darker with time. There seems to be a general understanding that Pearl is a figure created to represent the hardships and struggles that come from making a mistake in life. Not only is she repeatedly compared to the scarlet letter on her mother's chest, but Hawthorne assigns harsh light to Pear's characteristics, saying, "there was a fire in her and throughout her;". In choosing this specific diction, Hawthorne reveals that Pearl is somewhat a figure of trouble and someone to be slightly feared. This is because her physical innocence is unable to mask the inevitable darkness and harsh light within her. The point behind creating a character like Pearl in the story seems counter-intuitive, as one wants to believe that the child of Hester is the one who saves her from her doomed life, yet Hawthorne does the complete opposite, and creates a character who inevitably causes trouble in her mother's life. The juxtaposition of light and darkness mirror the light and darkness within the human soul, and unveil the reality that humans can appear to be one way, yet have a completely different purpose/personality that doesn't match. In other words, humans are misleading creatures who are capable of much more than they appear to.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapters “The Governor's Hall” and “The Elf Child and minister”, Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays Pearl as a demonic rather than a child. The author constantly calls her a “demon” and her clothing also resembles this trait as Pearl is dressed with “crimson tunic with flourishes of gold thread.” The color of red is prominently related to evil and sin. The author purposefully juxtaposes this clothing to Hester’s Scarlet “A” to further strike the resemblance between the mother and the child. Hester has the mark of a sinner and the colors corelate to Pearl’s attire as well. From this, it can be seen that the Puritan society looks down on the mother and daughter, and justifying that Pearl is an “offspring of the demon.” Hawthorne also connects the idea of romanticism with Pearl since she has a unique color on her clothing. This is a representation of individualism and being unique from everyone else (Puritan society). Overall, Hawthorne’s use of juxtaposition and the use of diction to describe Pearl makes it clear that she is similar to her mother and is frowned upon by the Puritan Society.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapters “The Governor’s Hall” and “The Elf Child and the Minister,” Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts Hester’s daughter, Pearl, as the symbol of the Scarlet A, the physical product of Hester’s adultery. He even embeds her in a red and gold dress, embroidered just like Hester’s A was placed on her bosom. Seen through alarming terms like “an infant pestilence” and “scarlet fever,” Hawthorne portrays Pearl as a frightening disease that scares everything in its path. Despite its repulsive connotation, Hawthorne comes alive when describing Pearls tangents. For example, when Pearl screams and shouts at her enemies, he states that she uses such “terrific volume of sound,” causing “the hearts of fugitives to quake within them.” He reveals her as such a powerful and fiery symbol, which appeals to him. Hawthorne also furthers the meaning of the Scarlet A, a symbol of rebellion, to something more infectious and strong.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, when Hester reacts to Pearl, it’s of conflicting feelings. She constantly sees Pearl as a reminder of her sin the whole Puritan community continues to harass her for. When they are at the governor’s house, she sees her and Pearl’s reflection in a suit of armor. Hester is so horrified and perplexed by her daughter’s appearance that she sees herself in it, an “imp… seeking to mold itself into Pearl’s shape.” In other words, Hester’s guilt of adultery is illuminated by Pearl’s appearance, making her feel like a demonic figure. However, Hester also sees Pearl as a “blessing” which could possibly remind her of the passion she and Dimmesdale once shared. Moreover, Hawthorne conveys Hester as tempered by sin, but reveals that she still feels emotionally tethered to it.
ReplyDeleteIn “The Governor’s Hall” and “The Elf Child” Hawthorne’s primary focus revolves around Hester Prynne’s daughter Pearl. Pearl is the symbolic representation of the romantic ideal of the purest form of romanticism. Pearl is symbolized as someone that is completely naive of her mother’s mistake and though the Governor would like to take Hester’s child away because the child was “sinful,” Hester contradicts this by stating that the child was given by god. However the Governor firmly states that the child was “child of its father's guilt and its mother's shame" even when Hester tries to deter him. Subsequently Hawthorne’s description of Pearl is of the child’s beauty calling her “a beauty that shone with deep and vivid tints; a bright complexion, eyes possessing intensity...and which, in after years, would be nearly akin to black.” to show that the child had natural beauty that contrast to the very rigid ugliness of the puritanical society. This is a very similar description that Hawthorne used to contrast the people of Puritanical society who were all considered ugly and in many ways unattractive.
ReplyDeleteIn “The Governor’s Hall” and “The Elf Child” Hawthorne’s primary focus revolves around Hester Prynne’s daughter Pearl. Pearl is the symbolic representation of the romantic ideal of the purest form of romanticism. Pearl is symbolized as someone that is completely naive of her mother’s mistake and though the Governor would like to take Hester’s child away because the child was “sinful,” Hester contradicts this by stating that the child was given by god. However the Governor firmly states that the child was “child of its father's guilt and its mother's shame" even when Hester tries to deter him. Subsequently Hawthorne’s description of Pearl is of the child’s beauty calling her “a beauty that shone with deep and vivid tints; a bright complexion, eyes possessing intensity...and which, in after years, would be nearly akin to black.” to show that the child had natural beauty that contrast to the very rigid ugliness of the puritanical society. This is a very similar description that Hawthorne used to contrast the people of Puritanical society who were all considered ugly and in many ways unattractive.
In the two chapters “The Governor's Hall” and “The Elf Child and the Minister”, Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays Pearl as less of a human child and more like a symbol. She is described as dauntless and fierce as she screams, shouts and threatens the other Puritan children. Already, there is a clear distinction between Pearl and children, whom represent all of the Puritans. Pearl definitely does not personally identify herself as a part of the community, nor does she physically identify. On pages 95 and 96, Hawthorne describes Pearl as a product of passion: “There was fire in her and throughout her; she seemed the unpremeditated offshoot of a passionate moment… remarkable attribute of this garb...reminded the beholder of the token which Hester Prynne was doomed to wear”. Pearl’s physical resemblance to the scarlet “A” is not purely coincidental; Hawthorn wants to make it clear that not only is she different from Puritanical society, but different from all of human nature as well. Pearl’s existence is a reminder of her mother’s sin, which subsequently means that she embodies all that the Puritans reject, further isolating her from this oppressive society. Moreover, Pearl looks dramatically different from her surroundings, which underscores her distance from the Puritans and highlights her own individuality. Pearl’s personal and physical isolation from society exemplifies the Romantic idea that individuality is extremely important.
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