What Does The Pearl Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter

Hard, lustrous, pure, highly prized as a gem. What do these things describe? Nothing but a simple pearl. Nathaniel Hawthorne used these descriptions to shape a young and unusual character in his book The Scarlet Letter. Pearl, the young character, was much like a real pearl. Hawthorne used symbolism through Pearl to tell his story. Pearl was a representation of the lingering reminder of sin, brokenness and freedom, and the Puritan society's view on the devil’s work.
Hawthorne wrote about a woman whose name was Hester, Pearl’s mother. Pearl was the product of her mother’s sin, adultery. The first symbol Pearl represented was that she was a living reminder in the flesh of the sin and shame Hester had to live with. She was also a reminder to