Scarlet Letter Essay: Pearl

In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne does an admirable job of expressing the true nature of his characters. Nowhere in his story is this more obvious than in his portrayal of the children. Children, in their innocence will say or do anything, for unlike adults, they are not constrained by societal expectations. They are oblivious to most manners and politics and therefore, are less reserved than the adults when it comes to questioning things or speaking their mind. Pearl, the leading child in the novel, is an excellent example of childish innocence combined with almost preternatural perception. Her willpower and imagination make her a blessing and a curse to her mother, who has paid such a dear price for her child. “After testing both smiles and frowns, and proving that neither mode of treatment possessed any calculable influence, Hester was ultimately compelled to stand aside, and permit that the child be swayed to her own impulses” (Hawthorne 82). Pearl could not be controlled by anyone, nor did she easily establish relationships with others. The other children in town would often tease her and gang up on her, berating Pearl and her mother. Pearl’s anger, however, was released in fits of fury as she screamed and flung things at her opponents. These heathenish qualities and unintelligible screams made many of the townsfolk believe her to be a witch (Hawthorne 85-86). In one of the final chapters, Mistress Hibbins, a confirmed witch, proclaims Pearl to be the daughter of the Prince of the Air, another term for Satan (Hawthorne 222). Pearl is never, in the entire book afraid to speak her mind. Her mother, embarrassed by many of these outbursts, tries in vain to shush her, but often to no avail. Pearl seems to realize early on in the book that Dimmsdale is her father, which accounts for her numerous pleas for him to “take her and her mother’s hand” (Hawthorne 139, 194). Also, Pearl has a strange attachment to the scarlet letter. As a baby, she would reach out and try to grab it on her mother’s breast (Hawthorne 87). She seems to innately realize that it has great significance, but when she confronts Hester about it, her mother lies to her, telling Pearl that she wears it because of its beautiful gold thread. This scene shows an excellent example of innocent curiosity from Pearl, and Hester’s lying because of societal regulations (Hawthorne 164). In the Puritan community, secrets are not revealed or shared with others. Dimmsdale, whose emotional burden saps his strength, cannot bring himself to take the weight off his shoulders by telling his secret to the community (Hawthorne 130). It was simply not done. Once a secret was out, however, everyone in the community knew about it immediately (Hawthorne 45). Hester cannot even bring herself to tell her own daughter the true reason for the scarlet letter upon her bosom. Children, although raised in the same society, knew nothing about these unspoken rules, and did not learn of them until they had gained maturity. The children in The Scarlet Letter also, have a kind of mischievous intelligence and cruel nature. The village children, who know the significance of the scarlet letter, but in many cases, do not fully understand it. They observe that the adults treat Hester with scorn, and also that she lives apart from the rest of the village. In attempts to imitate the adults, they sometimes harass her, or spy on her (Hawthorne 73). They tease little Pearl, a less formidable-looking opponent than her mother, but Pearl’s temper frightens the other children into submission. Pearl’s mischief stands out from that of the other children, for Pearl is more often seen than the other children. Her temper is mercurial, and her anger is as formidable as that of any adult, sometimes more so. Her cruelty came out in her mischief and then just as easily hidden behind a guise of childish sweetness. It was a face, fiend-like, full of smiling malice, yet bearing semblance of features that she had known full well, though seldom with a smile, and never with malice, in them. It was as if an evil spirit possessed the child, and had just then peeped forth in mockery (87). In a juxtaposition of images, Pearl threw flowers, the symbol of love, at her mother’s scarlet letter, the symbol of shame and unspoken torture to Hester (87). Hester is dismayed at her daughter’s flighty displays of cruelty and wonders if her child is an elf, a demon, or an evil spirit. Although Hester loves Pearl very much, Pearl is a curse, the living personification of the scarlet letter, and just as much of a torture as the symbol upon her breast (88). It seems, perversely, that as much as Hester is afraid of Pearl’s imagination and temper, she seems to encourage it and permit it as well. She does not control her child, except to make vain attempts to silence her and allows her to play games of imagination that smack of witchcraft by the town’s standards. In some ways, Hester behaves like a child, without any respect for conventional rules; however, Hester knows the full implications of what she is doing. Although she does set herself apart from society, she does not have the innocence that allows her to do or say anything without a good excuse. The innocence of children is an unchanging part of humanity. Maturity and responsibility come with time, but so do the restraints that humans put on their actions, tongues, and hearts. Children, however, are very perceptive, and Hawthorne makes this very clear. Their eyes and ears are always open, yet no one notices a child. Pearl’s wisdom and innocence are infuriating and lovable aspects of her personality, and in many ways, she voices what Hester only thinks. Adults in The Scarlet Letter, especially Mr. Dimmsdale, keep their thoughts, feelings, and emotions to themselves, sometimes with disastrous results. In truth, only children can be trusted to tell the complete and utter truth, for they do not understand the tact of white lies, the manners with which we must conduct ourselves, or the politics of society. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. 1850. New York: The Modern Library, 2000.