Pearl from the Scarlet Letter Analysis

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“There was witchcraft in little Pearl’s eyes, and her face, as she glanced upward at the minister, wore that naughty smile which made its expression frequently so elvish.” (Hawthorne 145) This, is a misleading description that Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts of Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne, in his classic novel The Scarlet Letter. Pearl is the living product of sin for her mother. Born out of wedlock, Pearl is a unique child that tends to be very moody and unpredictable. However, Pearl, at such a young age, demonstrates outstanding knowledge and exhibits curiosity to her mother’s scarlet letter, and the hypocrisy of Puritan society. Although Pearl portrays devilish characteristics and performs mischievous behaviour, she has good intentions which derive from the purity of her innocence and the love for her mother and father; thus, Pearl is not a devil child. Throughout the story, the people of Boston constantly suppose that Pearl is the “devil” or, the black man in disguise. Since Puritan beliefs are so dominant at the time, people believe that Pearl is a devil child for many reasons; she is a result of the illegal act of adultery and is born in a prison cell- with these sinful occurrences in mind, it is quite reasonable for a typical Puritan to assume that Pearl is related to Satan. Evidently, the harsh and judgmental Puritan society rejects and disdains Pearl and her mother. Since Pearl is born out of wedlock, which is caused by her mother’s affair, they are both indeed representatives of sin. This causes Pearl to refuge and bond with nature. To her, nature is her only home; a place where she is free from the malicious prejudices and ridicules of society. Nature offers Pearl hope, when she sees loved ones struggling with the truth; comfort, for when she feels the innate burdens that came with her birth; and growth, allowing her to become even more perceptive,
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