WigenEnglish III12/12/99The Scarlet Letter symbolism of PearlThe Scarlet Letter is a book of much symbolism. One of the most complex andmisunderstood symbols in the book is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne. Pearl,throughout the story, develops into a dynamic symbol one that is always changing. In the following essay, I will explore some of the symbolism which Pearl came torepresent throughout the novel.In The Scarlet Letter, Hester, for her sins, she received a scarlet letter, "A" which she had to wear upon her chest. This was the Puritan way of treating her as a criminal, for the crime of adultery. The Puritan treatment continued, because as Hester would walk through the streets, she would be looked down upon as if she were some sort of demon from Hell, that committed a terrible crime. This would give her much mental anguish and grief. On the other hand, Gods treatment of Hester for her sin was quite different than just a physical token: he gave Hester thepunishment of a very unique child which she named Pearl. This punishment handeddown from God was a constant mental and physical reminder to Hester of what she had done wrong, and she could not escape it. In this aspect, Pearl symbolized Gods way of punishing Hester for adultery. The way Hesters life was ruined for so long was the ultimate price that Hester paid for Pearl. With Pearl, Hesters life was one almost never filled with joy, but instead a constant nagging. Pearl would harass her mother over the scarlet "A" which she wore. Pearl would also make her own "A" to wear, and sometimes she played games with her mothers, trying to hit it with rocks. When Hester would go into the town with Pearl, the other children would make fun of her, and Pearl would yell and throw dirt at them. So, in this case, Pearl symbolized the butcher ofHesters life and mental state. Althou...
