FREE ESSAY ON PRECOCIOUS PEARL

PRECOCIOUS PEARL

Children are, by nature, incredibly sensitive creatures. They can sense almost any emotion
an adult might feel just by 
observing a particular person's body language and facial expressions. Such is the case
with the youthful Pearl from the novel The 
Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. As the daughter of the adulteress Hester Prynne
and Arthur Dimmesdale, the townspeople 
view Pearl as a demon in an angel's clothing; as an imp who not only knows exactly what
the letter A signifies on the breast of her 
mother, but as the demon who placed it there as well.  'Nay, Mother, I have told all I
know,' said Pearl more seriously than she was 
wont to speak...' But in good earnest now, Mother dear, what does this scarlet letter
mean? -and why dost thou wear it on thy bosom? 
-and why does the minister keep his hand over his heart?' She took her mother's hand in
both her own, and gazed into her eyes with an 
earnestness that was seldom seen in her wild and capricious character This dialogue does
not seem to be the words of a demon, but a 
child who is utterly curious about what the letter on her mother's bosom means. One must
not underestimate Pearl's intelligence 
though. In fact, Pearl is not the demon many consider her to be; instead she is
intelligent and sensitive towards her surroundings and 
can thus understand much about the scarlet letter her mother wears. The neighboring
townspeople...had given out that poor little 
Pearl was a demon offspring; such as, ever since old Catholic times, had occasionally
been seen on earth, through the agency of their 
of their mother's sin, and to promote some foul and wicked purpose. From this statement
and many others similar to it throughout the 
novel, many readers are given the impression that Pearl is a possessed child. Before any
type of statement can be made on Pearl's 
intelligence or sensitivity, it is imperative for one to understand these references are
an attempt on Hawthorne's part to display to the 
reader a fragment of Puritanical Society. By no means is Pearl an imp. She is a curious
child and, until one separates Hawthorne's 
fictitious references towards Pearl's demonic soul and Pearl's true intelligent nature, a
character analysis of Pearl's identity cannot be 
created. Pearl is a living Scarlet A to Hester, as well as the reader, acting as a
constant reminder of Hester's sin They also believe Pearl 
uses this information against Hester by constantly mentioning the letter in order to make
Hester extremely uncomfortable. Pearl, 
throughout the story, develops into a dynamic individual, as well as an extremely
important symbol - one who is constantly changing. 
Pearl is involved in a complex history, and as a result is viewed as different and is
shunned because of her mother's sin. Pearl is a living 
Scarlet A to Hester, as well as the reader, acting as a constant reminder of Hester's
sin. Pearl is the living embodiment of the scarlet 
letter because she forces Hester and Dimmesdale to accept their sins. The Puritan society
looks at Pearl as a child of the devil, and a 
black hearted girl because she is the result of sin. Hester and Dimmesdale are both in
the same situation in Pearl's eyes. Pearl wants 
Hester to realize that she is not the worst person in the world before she removes the
scarlet letter. Pearl wants Dimmesdale to accept 
his sin, and be part of their life publicly.
With the rumor of Pearl's impish nature dispelled, one can now study her inquisitive and
sensitive nature. When Hester 
Prynne refuses to reveal to Pearl the identity of the young child's father, Pearl's
burning curiosity quickly ignites and forces her to 
scream out the following demand. Tell me! Tell me!...It is thou that must tell me!This is
not the only time Pearl's curiosity sparked 
throughout the novel. In fact, there are many times where Pearl becomes inquisitive over
one mystery or another; this next example is 
one of them. Why, what is this, Mother?...Wherefore have all the people left their work
today? Is it a playday for the whole world? In 
this situation, Pearl is overwhelmed by curiosity, as the entire population of Boston is
decked in their finery for a reason that Pearl is 
not aware of. Instead of keeping silent, as a behaved Puritan child would, Pearl spills
out question after question in hopes of 
understanding something that is an enigma to her. While Pearl's natural curiosity drives
her on the quest of discovering the truth 
behind the scarlet letter, it is her sensitive and intelligent nature which answers a few
of the questions associated with the mystery. An 
example of this sensitive nature occurs after the custody battle in which Hester fights
for the right to remain as the guardian of Pearl. 
Pearl...stole softly towards him, and taking his hand in the grasp of both her own, laid
cheek against it. This seems to be Pearl's act 
of gratitude towards the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. One might wonder why the
short-tempered child would behave in such a sweet 
way towards Dimmesdale. Perhaps she notes her mother's frantic voice and posture as
Hester pleads with the men whose wish it is to 
take Pearl away and give her a proper Christian upbringing. Pearl might also notice
Dimmesdale's request that the child remain with 
her mother, and then the softening of Hester's face as her crisis ends. Without hearing a
single word uttered, Pearl can easily see how 
Dimmesdale saves both her and her mother from a situation neither would enjoy. Thus, the
loving gesture Pearl makes towards 
Dimmesdale is her silent way of saying, Thank you for the gift of youth you have just
given me. Using Pearl's characteristics of 
curiosity and sensitivity, one can make assumptions about whether or not Pearl
understands what the scarlet letter symbolizes. While 
she is too young to possibly comprehend Puritanical sin and punishment, Pearl can easily
understand that the letter is her mother's 
chastisement and embarrassment. And, Mother, he has his hand over his heart! Is it
because, when the minister wrote his name in the 
book, the Black Man set his mark in that place? But why does he not wear it outside his
bosom, as thou dost, Mother? Through this 
statement made by Pearl, one may realize Pearl does see a connection between Hester's
letter and Dimmesdale's habit of covering his 
heart with his hand, although she does not know what this connection is.
Hawthorne uses vivid descriptions to characterize Pearl. She is first described as the
infant; "...whose innocent life had 
sprung, by the inscrutable decree of Providence, a lovely and immortal flower, out of the
rank luxuriance of a guilty passion." From the 
beginning of her life she is viewed as the product of a sin, as a punishment. Physically,
Pearl has a "beauty that became every day more 
brilliant, and the intelligence that threw its quivering sunshine over the tiny features
of this child. Pearl is ravishing, with "beauty that 
shone with deep and vivid tints' a bright complexion, eyes possessing intensity both of
depth and glow, and hair already of a deep, 
glossy brown, and which, in after years, would be nearly akin to black." Combining with
her extreme beauty, are the lavish dresses that 
she wears. The exquisite dresses and her beauty cause her to be viewed as even stranger
from the other typical Puritan children, whom 
aredressed in traditional clothing. As a result, she is accepted by nature and animals,
and ostracized by the other Puritan children. 
"Pearl was a born outcast of the infantile world... the whole peculiarity, in short, of
her position in respect to other children." Pearl was 
not accepted by the children; her unavoidable seclusion was due to the sin of her mother.
On the rare occasion that the children would 
show interest in Pearl she would "grow positively terrible in her puny wrath, snatching
up stones to fling at them..." 
Pearl plays one of the most crucial roles in The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne uses Pearl as
an effective and dynamic character. 
When we were first introduced to Pearl, she was immediately drawn to the scarlet A on
Hester's bosom. "But the first object of which 
Pearl seemed to become aware was the scarlet letter on Hester's bosom! One day, as her
mother stooped over the cradle, the infant's 
eyes had been caught by the glimmering of the gold embroidery about the letter' and,
putting up her little hand, she grasped at it, 
smiling not doubtfully, but with a decided gleam. Beginning at infancy, Pearl served as a
reminder of the Scarlet A on her bosom. 
Hawthorne shows this symbolism various times. In Chapter 7 Pearl and Hester go to the
Governor's house and Pearl's attire "inevitably 
reminded the beholder of the token which Hester Prynne was doomed to wear upon her bosom.
It was the scarlet letter in another form; 
the scarlet letter endowed with life!" Pearl is dressed in a scarlet dress with gold
fringe exactly resembling the scarlet A on Hester's 
bosom. Pearl had a natural inclination to focus on the scarlet letter, which is show in
its fullest in Chapter 15. "...Pearl took some eel-
grass, and imitated, as best as she could, on her own bosom, the decoration with which
she was so familiar on her mother's. A letter, 
the letter A, but freshly green, instead of scarlet!" Throughout Pearl's continuos
questions Hester has never denied the significance of 
the scarlet A on her bosom. However, in this scene Hester eventually has to deny its
significance to Pearl after she ceaselessly 
confronts her mother of its significance. One of the most symbolic scenes in the novel
occurs in the forest as Pearl Hester are traveling 
to meet Dimmesdale. Pearl remarks to Hester that "the sunshine does not love you. It runs
away and hides itself, because it is afraid of 
something on your bosom." Sunshine, which symbolizes untroubled happiness, the approval
of G-d and nature, rejects Hester because 
of her sin and the "thing on her bosom". Therefore, Pearl constantly reminds her of her
sin and her punishment. In one of the most 
dramatic scenes in the novel Pearl prevents Hester from escaping her sin and shame. Pearl
"bursts into a fit of passion" and will not go 
to her mother until she puts the scarlet A back on her bosom and places her hair back
underneath her cap. In the one moment that 
Hester attempts to escape her sin, Pearl refuses to recognize and acknowledge her until
she returns to the shameful mother that she has 
always known. Pearl is a guiltless child, with all a child's freshness and spontaneity,
however to Hester is a persistent remembrance to 
the scarlet A, which she must bare on her bosom.
There are many continuous themes in which Pearl and her actions are large contributions
to their overall portrayal. The theme 
of alienation, which is exhibited throughout all of the main characters, is clearly seen
in the descriptions of Pearl. Pearl is always 
unaccepted by the community (which has already been addressed); she is shunned because of
her mother's sin. This can easily be 
viewed by analyzing the many various ways she is described by Hawthorne, by being weird
and eerie, having imaginary friends, and 
continuously being called "elf-child". She is ostracized and alienated from the Puritan
society and the children of the community, 
contributing largely to the theme of alienation. Another theme in which she contributes
to is the theme of beauty and its portrayal. "So 
smooth and quiet that it reflected a perfect image of her little figure, with all the
brilliant picturesqueness of her beauty, in its adornment 
of flower and wreathed foliage, but more refined and spiritualized than the reality."
This quote describes the beauty that Pearl has 
attained while she is playing in the forest and Hester and Dimmesdale talk. Her natural
beauty is enhanced as she approaches Hester 
and Dimmesdale, her mother and father. This beauty brings together the theme of love,
that is present between the three, as well as the 
importance of shame. While Pearl approaches her mother, whom is not wearing the scarlet A
and whose hair is down, she refuses to 
acknowledge her without her A and capped hair. This shows Pearl's dissent for beauty as a
solution to sin, which is expressed in the 
first few chapter when Hester is lightly punished for her adultery. Pearl is amazing
child, and perhaps one of the only many-sided 
characters in this novel. While the townsfolk and even Pearl's own mother are afraid of
the child, Pearl is, under close examination, a 
naturally inquisitive and temperamental child. Although some readers of this novel may
not care to read between the lines and see 
beyond the labeling of demon and imp, the true Pearl is completely different from this
stereotype. The real Pearl, the inquisitive, 
intelligent, and beautiful creature she is, becomes the symbol for salvation in this
novel. Pearl may be the product of sin and 
filthiness, yet she possesses traits that make her an amazing child. Indeed, Pearl is the
rosebush which grows near the prison door: 
she is the one bright spot the prisoners of this novel see as they watch from their small
windows in the dungeon of their minds.