The Character Of Pearl Essay Research Paper

In the chapter of Pearl, her name was compared to the parable in the gospel of Matthew. In this gospel account, the merchant sells all that he has to purchase “one great pearl of great price.” In this case, Pearl was “the pearl of great price” that Hester received. Hester goes beyond the law to get her little Pearl, as in the merchant going beyond the regular pearls and finding the really valuable pearl. The infant was “purchased with all that Hester had,” and it her “mother’s only treasure.” This parable, which reveals a comparison to the Kingdom of Heaven, says that there will always be one thing in your life that is so precious than any other thing in the whole entire world. When we humans find something very special, we want to treasure it all our lives as Hester did with her little Pearl.Pearl was also a way to get to the truth in the novel. She helped to reveal the secret sin which Dimmesdale, her father, possessed. She knew, in a sense, what was going on and wanted the truth to come out. Pearl would ask questions like “Wilt thou stand on the scaffold with mother and me, tomorrow noontide?” She wants her father to be revealed, but acts like she does not know about it. If the secret sin were to be revealed, it wouldn’t be her. Also, she wants it to be revealed so “her father” wouldn’t have to go through the pain he suffered. Another question that she would ask often would be “Why does the minister always put his hand over his heart?” Her care can be seen throughout the novel and her want of the revelation showed it.In the forest, another instant that she wanted the truth to come out was when she started to get mad. She got mad because her mother had taken off the Scarlet Letter. She showed her anger to show how she felt. Pearl felt that if her mother had not worn it anymore, it wouldn’t have accomplished anything. She wanted the secret sin revealed, and didn’t get it until the third scaffold scene when her father died. A comparison of Pearl can be made of an angel sent to earth to do his/her deed. And when all is said and done, the angel becomes a full angel. In Pearl’s case, she became fully human.In the novel, Pearl had a well-developed relationship with her mother, but sometimes the “elf-child” troubled and worried her mother. Before even speaking, the first thing she noticed was the Scarlet Letter. The infant’s eyes had been caught by the “glimmering of the gold embroidery of the letter,” and the baby smiled “as if she looked like an older child.” After that, Hester never felt safe anymore and “could not enjoy life anymore.”

Inside the “Governor’s Hall” while Pearl gazed at the gleaming armour, the infant noticed the Scarlet Letter distorted or shaped in a different way. It was represented in “exaggerated and gigantic proportions.” Pearl’s look of naughtiness made Hester feel as if it couldn’t be an image of her, but of “an imp who was seeking to mould itself into Pearl’s shape.” These events really made Hester worried and sad, but there was one instance that even though Pearl was troubled Hester cared a lot for her and loved her.When the governor and his companions decided to take Pearl away from Hester, “Hester caught hold of Pearl, and drew her forcibly into her arms.” This really showed that Hester didn’t want to lose her only treasure, and thus defended her only treasure and was able to keep her “pearl of great price.” Also if it weren t for her, Hester would’ve been thrown into the arms of the devil. In the climax of the novel, another relationship occurred. At the “Minister’s Vigil,” Pearl’s laugh was recognized right away by the young minister. When Pearl held Dimmesdale’s hand, she helped to bring “a rush of new life” into his heart. These instances showed that Pearl’s bond with Arthur was great just as her relationship with her mother. There were also many instances that showed that she was sent on earth to help him. Through her, the minister could lead a new life and not always “keep his hand over his heart.” She would always ask him questions and he would say no or “not today.” If he just said yes to what she asked of him, he wouldn’t have been in so much pain. Also in the forest when the minister kissed her, she ran and “cleaned it off.” This didn’t show her hate for him, but how much she cared for him. “It was for his own good.” All she would do was ask him questions and do harmful things to him, but she did demonstrate kindness to him at certain times. This relationship showed that the little girl cared for the minister so much that she knew what to do to help him.