herself. Growing up as a young creature of nature influences Pearl to take on the common unpredictable and uncontrollable characteristics of nature. Pearl “cannot be amenable to rules” ( ).The traits that Pearl encompasses are not traits of “normal” Puritan society. These are not normal traits of Puritan children, so the Puritan society refers to Pearl as “one of those naughty elfs or fairies” ( ). The society kicks her out and nature takes her in. Pearl seems to be in tune with nature. The Governor quizzes Pearl on her knowledge of her heavenly father is. Pearl does not separate herself from nature. Pearl laughingly states “I have no heavenly father” (97). Pearl refuses to say who made her and as a child she says “had not been made at all, but she had been plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison door” (97).The Puritan society wants to take Pearl away from her mother. They feel they can raise Pearl the proper Puritan Christian way. Hester pleads to the community to allow her to keep her child. “Pearl is a child of it’s father’s guilt and it’s mother’s shame, but still she has come from the hands of God, that is why she is a blessing (98). Her child is her happiness and punishment at the same time. Pearl is her purpose for her life, if Hester were to lose Pearl she would gladly join the black man in the forest. Pearl keeps her mother from evil and she is the reason that her mother does not go with the black man. Dissmedale defends Heter and explains to the community Pearl is a blessing and a reminder of sin. She is a punishment to Hester. Pearl sees the distressed face of her mother soften after Dismmedale’s statement, Pearl shows her appreciation to Dissmedale “stole softy toward him, and taking his hand in the grasp of both of her own, laid her cheek against” (196). This is not...
