Pearl
One of the most complex and elaborate characters in The Scarlet Letter is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Pearl, throughout the story, develops into a dynamic individual, as well as an extremely important symbol- one who is constantly changing. Pearl is involved in a complex history, and as a result is viewed as different and is shunned because of her mother's sin. Pearl is a living Scarlet A to Hester, as well as the reader, acting as a constant reminder of Hester's sin.
Hawthorne uses vivid descriptions to characterize Pearl. She is first described as the infant; "Â…whose innocent life had sprung, by the inscrutable decree of Providence, a lovely and immortal flower, out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty passion." (81). From the beginning of her life she is viewed as the product of a sin, as a punishment. Physically, Pearl has a "beauty that became every day more brilliant, and the intelligence that threw its quivering sunshine over the tiny......
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Approximate Word Count: 3792
Approximate Pages: 15 (260 words per double-spaced page) |