but chases them away with stones. Since Pearl's birthresulted from broken rules, she does not feel the obligation to followrules. Although her life is an outcast of Puritan society, Pearl's languageshows a high level of intelligence. Later, Hester receives word that themagistrates want to take Pearl away from her. Hester takes Pearl to thegovernor's house where the child meets her father, Arthur Dimmesdale. AfterDimmesdale persuades the governors to allow Hester to keep Pearl, he givesthe child a kiss on the forehead. This kiss hints that Dimmesdale isPearl's father. When Hester and Pearl return from Governor Winthrop's death bed, theyjoin Dimmesdale standing on the town's scaffold. Pearl asks Dimmesdale"Wilt thou stand here with mother and me, to-morrow noontide?" (Hawthorne131) twice. Realizing that Arthur is her father, Pearl wants him toconfess his sin so that the three of them can live peacefully. Next,Hester takes Pearl for a walk in the woods to meet Dimmesdale. While thetwo lovers talk and come up with plans to leave for England, Pearl goes offand plays in the woods. After Hester and Dimmesdale finish talking, Pearlreturns and finds that her mother has removed the scarlet letter. Pearl,who has grown attached to the "A," throws a temper tantrum until Hesterputs the letter back on her dress. Later, Dimmesdale kisses Pearl, whothen runs to a brook and washes off the kiss. Pearl does not acceptDimmesdale as her father. At the end of the novel, Hester and Pearl go toEngland, but Hester returns and dies in Boston. Hawthorne never tellsexactly what happened to Pearl. The people of Boston have many differentideas about Pearl's fate. For example, some believe that she died or thatshe married and received money from Chillingworth's will. The characterof Pearl portrayed a large role in the plot of the Scarlet Letter. Significance Nathaniel Hawthorne develops Pearl into the most obvious ce...
