Nathaniel Hawthorn's The Scarlet Letter explores symbolism through characters. Hester is a symbol of unjust humiliation for her affair. Her daughter Pearl symbolizes both a blessing and punishment for Hester. As a victim of society, Dimmesdale, and her fate, Hester cares for Pearl, who is described as a beautiful yet wild child. Pearl's questions and nature torment Hester while also giving her purpose, representing how Pearl can be viewed as both a reminder of Hester's sin or a new world for her.

1. Name : Gond Asmita k
Roll no : 1 st
Class : M.A. Sem -3
Year : 2015
Paper no : 10 , The American Literatre
Anrollment No : 14101017
E-mail-Id : asmita.gond414@gmail.com
Topic: Pearl as a symbol of blessing as well
as punishment for Hester.
Submitted to : M.K.B.U Bhavnagar University
Department of English

2. Index
1. Introduction of Nathaniel Hawthorn
2. What is symbolism
3. Characters are as symbolism
4. Hester as a victim of
5. Description of Pearl
6. What do you name to Pearl?
7. Pearl as a Witch Girl
8. Pearl as biggest responsibility
9. Pearl as wild nature
10. Pearl’s questions
11. Pearl as a Blessing and punishment both for Hester

3. Introduction of Nathaniel Hawthorn
• Nathaniel Hawthorn was born on
July ,4 , 1804
• His father John Hawthorn is a
captain and mother Elizabeth
• The scarlet letter is the masterpiece
work in English literature

4. What is symbolism?
• “ Symbolism nothing but a deeper meaning”
• When a person writes poetry they are often trying to
paint a picture or draw a scene in vivid detail of our
mind.
• Symbolism is literary visual art.
• It can be moral, religious or philosophical

5. • Characters as symbolism
Hester Symbol of Unjust humiliation
Chilling worth Symbol of spur to the quest for revenge
Dimmesdale Piercing reminder of his own guilt
Pearl Bright and mysterious curiosity

6. Hester is a victim of
• At the beginning
of the novel Hester
has been living in
Boston for two
years and has
been found guilt
for bearing a girl
child Pearl , which
becomes her
biggest sin in her
life.
• Dimmesdale
• Chillingworth
• Own youth
• Bad fate

7. Description of Pearl
• Pearl appeared first as
an infant, at the age of
three and finally at the
age of seven.
• The fullest description of
her comes at the age of
three.

8. • Pearl is the product of
Hester's sin, the scarlet
letter is the product of
society.
• This idea shows that Pearl’s
the scarlet letter and the
scarlet letter is Pearl.
• “ Pearl is appear as rich and
luxuriant beauty, a beauty that
shone with deep and vivid
tints, a bright complex, eyes
possessing intensity both of
depth and glow , and hair
already of deep , glossy brown
which in after years would be
nearly akin to black”

9. What do you name to Pearl?
Humiliation
Sorry-for-
Sin
PearlAbstinence
Sin-Deny

10. Pearl as a witch girl
After the birth of
pearl she obviously
become the illicit of
love affair between
Hester and
Dimmesdale

11. • Pearl as a new hope for
Hester

12. • Biggest companion as
well as shame also

13. Pearl as a biggest responsibility
No name of
father
No societyNo family
• Pearl has inherited
Hester's all moodiness,
passion and defiance.
• Hester worrying about
Pearl’s future
• Pearl develops a
personality, she
becomes symbolic of
the kind of passion that
accompanied Hester’s
sin.

14. Pearl as a wild nature
• She is clothed in nature and
reflected in the nature of
the woods where the devil
lives, and imps are
associated with the devil.
she is beautiful and serene
but the next minute she is
causing her mother’s pain
to
• Nature become gloomy,
dark, and somber.

15. Pearl as a blessing nature

16. Pearl’s questions
• As Pearl grows older,
her actions and her
questions are matters
of increasing torment
to Hester.
• She often ask question
on ‘A’ the scarlet letter

17. • Pearl as fault of bade
fate for Hester

18. Pearl as blessing for Hester
• Pearl becomes blessing for
Hester because Pearl has
given a way of living the
life for Hester as treasure.
• She become a great
companion of her mother

19. The puritan society
• Society believes that she is
demon child of off-spring

20. Pearl as punishment and blessing both
• In Hester’s life problems starts with
birth of Pearl
• She reminds Hester her own crime
and exile.
• Pearl become living appearance of
Hester’s sin
“ endowed with
a million fold the
power of
retribution for
my sin”

21. • Pearl a new world for
Hester

22. Conclusion
 “ An angel will always come in every bodies life for the
help”
 So We give Pearl name A for Angel
 Thus we can say that Pearl is punishment and blessing both
for Hester,