The literal meaning of the scarlet letter changes from adultery to able from the time that Hester Prynne fashioned it up until when Nathanial Hawthorne found it in the customhouse. When Hester first fashions the scarlet letter has a meaning of adulterer. As stated by Becovitch, a critic,

“…The Scarlet Letter ‘is a story of socialization in which the point of socialization is not to conform, but to consent. Anyone can submit; the socialized believe. It is not enough to have

The scarlet letter is brought to life by Hester’s daughter, Pearl, who is also a symbol of Hester’s conscience. Even though at some times Pearl can be a hindrance to her mother she is also a blessing. She is a reason for Hester to live revitalizing her sprits whenever she has the urge to give up. Pearl is always drawing or crafting the letter “A” in the sand, with seaweed, flowers and brambles. “In the afternoon of a certain summer's day, after Pearl grew big enough to run about, she amused herself with gathering handfuls of wild flowers, and flinging them, one by one, at her mother's bosom; dancing up and down like a little elf whenever she hit the scarlet letter.”(Hawthorne 67). Here Pearl was throwing flowers at the scarlet letter and unintentionally caused her mother unutterable pain. This instance was not so damaging as other times. “As the last touch to her mermaid's garb, Pearl took some eel-grass and imitated, as best she could, on her own bosom the decoration with which she was so familiar on her mother's. A letter—the letter A—but freshly green instead of scarlet.”(Hawthorne 122). Pearl has fashioned a letter out of eelgrass as an imitation of her mother’s. The only difference is that Pearl’s letter is made of fresh eelgrass and Hester’s is of a scarlet cloth. This is like saying that Pearl’s soul is still new and young while Hester’s has had time to grow old. The last significant event in which Pearl is the embodiment of the scarlet letter is in the forest. This last event proves that Hester is not complete without the scarlet letter. Pearl notices that her mother is not wearing the letter on her bosom and will not obey her mother’s call. Instead she stands in one spot and points at her bosom. Pearl also notices that Arthur Dimmesdale is holding his hand above his heart whenever she refuses to listen to her mother’s call. She then throws a tantrum when her mother can’t figure out what is the matter. Then Hester notices the scarlet letter lying on the bank of the stream. She then asks Pearl to bring it to her and Pearl tells her to come and get it. Hester goes, picks up the letter and fastens it back onto her bosom and then Pearl obeys her mother. (Hawthorne 143-145). When the scarlet letter is manifested a

Some topics in this essay:
Hester Prynne, Election Day, Scarlet Letter, Chillingsworth Hester’s, Puritan Magistrates, Arthur Dimmesdale, scarlet letter, Nathanial Hawthorne, , letter “a”, Nathanial Hawthorne’s, dimmesdale’s chest, scarlet letter manifested, letter manifested, letter red cloth, bosom pearl, meaning scarlet, red cloth, hester prynne, letter�the letter, meaning scarlet letter, instance letter “a”, “a” dimmesdale’s chest, letter red,