Pearl In The Scarlet Letter

Pearl in The Scarlet Letter research papers show that what a reader sees in Pearl is a tower of strength, and Hawthorne has portrayed her as both strong-willed and, at the same time, very compassionate toward her mother and her mother's plight. Pear was all of the following to the novel:

• Pearl was smart, imaginative and determined
• Pearl in a way defended her mother
• Pearl was extremely loyal to her mother
• Most importantly, Pearl saw through the hypocricy of the townspeople who kept her mother in virtual isolation and rebelled against it.

And, Pearl was fiercely self-assured regarding her relationship with her mother. When Hester complained she wanted to rid herself of the scarlet letter, it was Pearl who discouraged her, insisting she keep it. Pearl displayed a wisdom far beyond her mother's, realizing that there was honor in the letter her mother wore, not shame.

So, Pearl becomes a role model for everyone, a symbol in The Scarlet Letter of moral and even spiritual strength. She ventured boldly into areas her mother dared not enter, though Hester certainly longed for acceptance and a return to a semblance of a normal life. Another demonstration of Pearl's incredible inner strength and self-determination is found when she urges her mother: "Come away, mother! Come away, or yonder Black Man will catch you! He hath got hold of the minister already. Come away, mother, or he will catch you! But he cannot catch little Pearl!".

What this passage indicates is that Pearl feels the "immortality" all young people feel. Nothing can harm them; nothing can stop them from leading their own lives. Yet, there is something more in those words. It is the determination of Pearl to not so much rebel against authority as to not let it intrude in their lives. While Hester does not grasp her daughter's words, the reader certainly does, for Pearl demonstrates a wisdom and insight far beyond her years.