guilty and therefore never accused of adultery. Pearl becomes the embodiment of the scarlet letter, just as the scarlet letter is a permanent reminder of Hester’s sins, Pearl serves as a living reminder of Hesters submission to lust. Many of the things that young Pearl utters, fill Hester with dread. For example, upon being told that she was sent to earth by God, the young toddler responds, “ ‘He did not send me!…I have no Heavenly Father!’” (p.67) It is pearls mentioning of such things as this that cause Hester to speculate where the young child even came from. “ ‘Thou art not my child! Thou art no pearl of mine!” (p.67) It is in this sense that the scarlet letter, which young Pearl symbolizes, torments Hester. Thus, in both the literal sense, of the crowd’s mockery of Hester, and the figurative sense of the anguish caused by pearl, the scarlet letter has great affects on Hester Prynne.An equally quelling argument in contrast to the one aforementioned can be made, in which Hester greatly affects the letter she is made to wear. Throughout the novel, Hester tries extremely hard to remain strong in the face of those that ridicule her. By and by, through her diligent actions, in an attempt to repent for her sins, she begins to change the peoples opinion of the letter. “The scarlet letter had the affect of a cross on a nun’s bosom. It imparted to the wearer a kind of sacredness, which enabled her to walk securely amid all peril.” (p.112) The townspeople begin to see the letter to stand for able, rather than for adultery. The new meaning Hester gives the letter is also shown on a symbolic level, when during a meteor shower the letter “A” displayed in the sky is interpreted by the town to stand for the word “Angel”. In addition, if Pearl is a symbol representing the scarlet letter, Hester views Pearl as her only joy in the wor...
