Scarlet Letter Literary Analysis Essay
In "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathienal Hawthorne, the narrarator places symbolic connections between Hestre's daughter, Pearl and the life Hester endures after her commitment of an adultrious sin. Hester is forced to look upon her daughter; a living embodiment of the ultimate sin commited as a contant reminder of the past. The erry details used to describe Pearl as well as her actions enforce the sifficance of the consequence Hester must be reminded of evryday for her action in the past. In profiding such deatils, readers become intreged as well as suspicious as to why Pearl behaves in such a dark and myseterious way. By describing such a dark soul beneath a name associated with such beauty and value as Pearl is, enforcees the hardships Hester
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endures beccause of her actions including her own daughter shunning away from her. Hawthorne's use of the character Pearl throughout The Scarlet Letter becomes a symbol of shame, sin, as well as a guilty concenious that Hester never truly is able to rid herself from.
Although the name Pearl is associated with that of beauty and value, the descriptions used when describing her nature such as " " enforces the fact that Pearl is a living symbol of reminder of the sin Hesture commits.
During Hesters public punishment for the adultry she commits, the scarlet letter along with Pearl both prove to present shame in Hester for her actions. "She turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter ... to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real" (41). Everytime Hester looks at her daughter, she is tortured by the shame she endures for her sin even many years later. Not only does Pearl provide as a symbol of sin in public but also when both Pearl and Hester are alone. Pearl continusously points at the letter A harassingly asking questions about it while making a game of it by throwing rocks at her mother's chest. When Pearl and her mother are in a field, Pearl asks " " which indicats Pearl is wanting her mother to live up to the sin shes committed. Hester renforces the idea that Pearl is the scarlet letter in flesh when Hester confesses to the pious community leaders that Pearl "is my happiness! - she is my torture...See ye not, she is the scarlet letter, only capable of being loved, and so endowed with a million-fold the power of retribution for my sin." (Hawthorne 100) In this passage, Hawthorne is describing the power the lasting effect Hester's sin has has on her life as well as the shame that she now embodies as a result of her …show more content…
actions.
Not only does Pearl represent sin, she also represents the guilt her mother Hestre endures as a result of the aftermath her actions caused. Hester comes face to face with the painful image of herself whenever she is in the company of her daughter and is seen when Pearl is the reflection being casted instead of a shiny object.
[Pearl's] outbreaks of fierce temper had a kind of value, and even comfort, for her mother; because there was at least an intelligible earnestness in the mood, instead of the fitful caprice that so often thwarted her in the child's manifestations. It appalled her, nevertheless, to discern here, again, a shadowy reflection of the evil that had existed in herself. (Hawthorne 84)
The author is depenstating that Pearl is a direct reflection of the evil that exsits in Hester which as a result forces her to feel imense guilt. Hawthorne emphaszies that Hester sees the evil in her daughter that also existed in herself that b&&&&&&&& Pearl’s life as well as her behavior directly reflect the absured and abnormal nature of the guilt Hester feels for her adulterous sin. Hawthorne desbribes the nature of Pearl and how everytime Hestere looks at her daughter "It was as if an evil spirit possessed the child, and had just then peeped forth in mockery" (Hawthorne ) Pearl becomes a reminder of guilt in flesh that mocks hesters sinful actions. Pearl is constant reminder like the waves crashing to the shore and momentarily parting back to the sea only to returnn in a furry of water back slowly drowing Hester in guilty conscience.
Although Pearl is a symbol of sin and shame, she is also a symbol of a mother's unconditional love and the ability to own up to ones actions and find the will within to move on from the past.
Pearl becomes more than just a consquence of wrong doings but rather a blessing in disguense. This is enforced when Hawthorne says ” Pearl is more than a mere punishment to her mother: she is also a blessing. ( ) Throughout the novel, Hester uses Pearl as motivation to continue on with life and move past the ridicul she endures everyday from the entire town. Hawthornes demonstrates that Hester believes Pearl is not just the living emodiement of the scarlet letter but rather "capable of being "She is my happiness!....She is my torture!- "Pearl keeps me here in life" Hester relizes that God has granted her happiness through Pearl and the opprotunity to rid herself of the past to focus on loving and caring for her daughter in the present. Not only is Pearl a living unsumbalnce for Hester's actions but she is also Dimmesdale's "pearl of great price" ( ) when he finally owns up to his actions and gives up his live in an attempt to recieve forgivness from
God.
[A] spell was broken. The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father's cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and sorrow, nor for ever do battle with the world, but be a woman in it. Towards her mother, too, Pearl's errand as a messenger of anguish was all fulfilled" (Hawthorne )
Pearl can now ride herself of the pain experienanced in the past when her father would not acknolodge his sin. Pearl was never able to be truly human until her father publically takes onincis of his sin hes commits instead of living in denial. However with dimmesdales confession of his sin, Pearl is able to leave the past duties of a messenger behind and live a new human life full of joy.
Altogether, Pearl represents many different kinds of sybolism from being one of sin, a physical reminder of shame, or a reminder that there is a reason to live despite the difficulties faced by society. Although in the begginning Pearl is only a mere living breathing reminder of Hester's shameful past, Heter eventually comes to the realization that her daughter is meant to be a treasure not tortue. By releasing these pre conceived ideas from society, Hester as well as Dimingsdale is able to ride themselves of their guilty conscience and find peace and acceptance in moving forward with their lives. In the end, Pearl is able to ride herself from being accosiated with any symololic meaning or demonic nature and instead "become fully human"
endures beccause of her actions including her own daughter shunning away from her. Hawthorne's use of the character Pearl throughout The Scarlet Letter becomes a symbol of shame, sin, as well as a guilty concenious that Hester never truly is able to rid herself from.
Although the name Pearl is associated with that of beauty and value, the descriptions used when describing her nature such as " " enforces the fact that Pearl is a living symbol of reminder of the sin Hesture commits.
During Hesters public punishment for the adultry she commits, the scarlet letter along with Pearl both prove to present shame in Hester for her actions. "She turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter ... to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real" (41). Everytime Hester looks at her daughter, she is tortured by the shame she endures for her sin even many years later. Not only does Pearl provide as a symbol of sin in public but also when both Pearl and Hester are alone. Pearl continusously points at the letter A harassingly asking questions about it while making a game of it by throwing rocks at her mother's chest. When Pearl and her mother are in a field, Pearl asks " " which indicats Pearl is wanting her mother to live up to the sin shes committed. Hester renforces the idea that Pearl is the scarlet letter in flesh when Hester confesses to the pious community leaders that Pearl "is my happiness! - she is my torture...See ye not, she is the scarlet letter, only capable of being loved, and so endowed with a million-fold the power of retribution for my sin." (Hawthorne 100) In this passage, Hawthorne is describing the power the lasting effect Hester's sin has has on her life as well as the shame that she now embodies as a result of her …show more content…
actions.
Not only does Pearl represent sin, she also represents the guilt her mother Hestre endures as a result of the aftermath her actions caused. Hester comes face to face with the painful image of herself whenever she is in the company of her daughter and is seen when Pearl is the reflection being casted instead of a shiny object.
[Pearl's] outbreaks of fierce temper had a kind of value, and even comfort, for her mother; because there was at least an intelligible earnestness in the mood, instead of the fitful caprice that so often thwarted her in the child's manifestations. It appalled her, nevertheless, to discern here, again, a shadowy reflection of the evil that had existed in herself. (Hawthorne 84)
The author is depenstating that Pearl is a direct reflection of the evil that exsits in Hester which as a result forces her to feel imense guilt. Hawthorne emphaszies that Hester sees the evil in her daughter that also existed in herself that b&&&&&&&& Pearl’s life as well as her behavior directly reflect the absured and abnormal nature of the guilt Hester feels for her adulterous sin. Hawthorne desbribes the nature of Pearl and how everytime Hestere looks at her daughter "It was as if an evil spirit possessed the child, and had just then peeped forth in mockery" (Hawthorne ) Pearl becomes a reminder of guilt in flesh that mocks hesters sinful actions. Pearl is constant reminder like the waves crashing to the shore and momentarily parting back to the sea only to returnn in a furry of water back slowly drowing Hester in guilty conscience.
Although Pearl is a symbol of sin and shame, she is also a symbol of a mother's unconditional love and the ability to own up to ones actions and find the will within to move on from the past.
Pearl becomes more than just a consquence of wrong doings but rather a blessing in disguense. This is enforced when Hawthorne says ” Pearl is more than a mere punishment to her mother: she is also a blessing. ( ) Throughout the novel, Hester uses Pearl as motivation to continue on with life and move past the ridicul she endures everyday from the entire town. Hawthornes demonstrates that Hester believes Pearl is not just the living emodiement of the scarlet letter but rather "capable of being "She is my happiness!....She is my torture!- "Pearl keeps me here in life" Hester relizes that God has granted her happiness through Pearl and the opprotunity to rid herself of the past to focus on loving and caring for her daughter in the present. Not only is Pearl a living unsumbalnce for Hester's actions but she is also Dimmesdale's "pearl of great price" ( ) when he finally owns up to his actions and gives up his live in an attempt to recieve forgivness from
God.
[A] spell was broken. The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father's cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and sorrow, nor for ever do battle with the world, but be a woman in it. Towards her mother, too, Pearl's errand as a messenger of anguish was all fulfilled" (Hawthorne )
Pearl can now ride herself of the pain experienanced in the past when her father would not acknolodge his sin. Pearl was never able to be truly human until her father publically takes onincis of his sin hes commits instead of living in denial. However with dimmesdales confession of his sin, Pearl is able to leave the past duties of a messenger behind and live a new human life full of joy.
Altogether, Pearl represents many different kinds of sybolism from being one of sin, a physical reminder of shame, or a reminder that there is a reason to live despite the difficulties faced by society. Although in the begginning Pearl is only a mere living breathing reminder of Hester's shameful past, Heter eventually comes to the realization that her daughter is meant to be a treasure not tortue. By releasing these pre conceived ideas from society, Hester as well as Dimingsdale is able to ride themselves of their guilty conscience and find peace and acceptance in moving forward with their lives. In the end, Pearl is able to ride herself from being accosiated with any symololic meaning or demonic nature and instead "become fully human"