Scarlett Letter

Pearl and the Spice of Life

Really good salsa has lots of zesty vegetables and spices to make it good. But what if the spiciness of the salsa was taken away? It would just be tomato sauce. Pearl is the spice of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. If her character was not present, the book would have a completely different flavor. In his essay entitled “The Genius of The Scarlet Letter,” Anthony Trollope states, “Pearl is miraculous,-speaking, acting, thinking like an elf,-and is therefore, I think, a drawback rather than an aid. The desolation of the woman, too, would have been more perfect without the child” (Trollope 243). Trollope’s point is well made, however the absence of Pearl would have made The Scarlet Letter an entirely different story. Without Pearl there would have been no proof of Hester’s adultery, and she might have become more depressed, even sinned more. However, if Pearl had been a more normal and obedient child, she would have been more well liked by readers.

The most drastic change that would have been made in the book in the absence of Pearl would be that it would no longer have been called The Scarlet Letter. The reason for this being that without Pearl, there would have been no proof that Hester had committed adultery. Therefore, no one would have known and there would have been no punishment. Instead,

Hester would have gone through the same guilt and internal battle as the minister, Reverend Dimmesdale. The reason that Dimmesdale is so tortured inside is because of the incredible feeling of guilt that he has because of having never taken blame or punishment for his sin. If Hester took no punishment, she would feel that same torture inside. But Pearl is present, so she is proof of Hester’s adultery. Hawthorne says it best when he states, “God, as a direct consequence of sin which man thus punished, had given her a lovely child” (82). Hester’s punishment was the consequence of having a child.

Pearl is not only the proof of Hester’s adultery, she is also the thing that keeps Hester going. Hester may have fallen into a depression and eventually died, but Hester has to keep sewing, keep getting out of bed in the morning, and keep taking care of herself because she has someone else to take care of too. Hester’s feelings about Pearl are revealed when Hawthorne states, “But she named the infant ‘Pearl,’ as being of great price,-purchased with all she had,-her mother’s only treasure!” (82). Pearl was the only good thing in Hester’s life. Pearl also prevents her mother from falling into deeper sin. When asked by Mistress Hibbons to join her in the forest for witchcraft and devil worship, Hester replies,

I must tarry at home, and keep watch over my little Pearl. Had they taken her away from me, I would willingly have gone with thee into the forest, and signed my name in the Black Man’s book too, and that with mine own blood! (107)

Pearl is what has saved her from sinning.

Although Pearl was a necessary character, she would have been more well liked by readers if she had been more normal. Pearl was a very