Saturday, October 12, 2019
Pearl in Scarlet letter :: essays research papers
One of the most complex and elaborate characters in Nathaniel Hawthorneââ¬â¢s The Scarlet Letter is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Pearl, throughout the story, develops into a dynamic individual, as well as an extremely important symbol. Pearl is involved in a complex history, and as a result is viewed as different and is shunned because of her motherââ¬â¢s sin. Pearl is a living Scarlet A to Hester, as well as the reader, acting as a constant reminder of Hesterââ¬â¢s sin. This connection leads to many different views of Pearlââ¬â¢s character. à à à à à Hawthorne uses vivid descriptions to characterize Pearl. She is first described as the child, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦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.â⬠(81). From the beginning of her life she is viewed as the product of a sin. Physically, Pearl has a ââ¬Å"beauty that became every day more brilliant, and the intelligence that threw its quivering sunshine over the tiny features of this child.â⬠(81-82). The exquisite dresses and her beauty cause her to be viewed as even stranger from the other typical Puritan children, whom are dressed in traditional clothing. As a result, she is accepted by nature and animals, and ostracized by the other Puritan children. ââ¬Å"Pearl was a born outcast of the infantile worldâ⬠¦ the whole peculiarity, in short, of her position in respect to other children.â⬠(86). 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 show interest in Pearl, she lashes out at them. à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à The members of the Puritan society view Pearl as a weird, strange little girl, born from a sinful act. However, the characters with a closer, more in depth relationship to the child, feel differently towards Pearl. ââ¬Å"She is a strange child! I hardly comprehend her! But thou wilt love her dearly, as I do, and wilt advise me how to deal with herâ⬠(186). Hester describes her unbalanced feelings and emotions to Dimmesdale. This statement shows that although Pearlââ¬â¢s quirks and oddities cause her to become ââ¬Å"strangeâ⬠in the eyes of others, they form into a love from Hester. This relationship between Hester and Pearl is important because both are ostracized for their irregularities and for the sin and shame of Hester. Dimmesdale responds to Hesterââ¬â¢s statement with, ââ¬Å"I have long shrunk from children, because they often show distrust- a backwardness to be familiar with me.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment