Hawthorne's creation of the character Pearl in his romance, The Scarlet Letter, has created some argument among critics. Some believe she is a symbol of sin, constantly trying to keep her parents from ever finding true happiness. Others declare she was brought to life with a mission to bring her parents to their salvation. I believe the most accurate of these views is that she is trying to keep her parents from ever finding true happiness as a consequence of their great sin because of when Pearl puts burrs on the scarlet letter, and when she wipes Dimmesdale's kiss from her forehead.
First of all, I would like to talk about the scene with Pear placing burrs on Hester's bosom. Pearl was in "one of those moods of perverse merriment", which seemed to remove any sympathy or consideration for anyone. She began to "skip irreverently from one grave to another." Hester asked her to behave more politely, but in reply Pearl "paused to gather the prickly burrs from a tall burdock." She then began to "arrange them along the lines of the scarlet letter." After Dimmesdale's comment about her behavior, Pearl "threw one of the burrs at Mr. Dimmesdale." Dimmesdale "shrunk, with nervous dead, from the light missile." When Pearl saw how she effected him she "clapped her hands in the most extravagant ecstasy." Hawthorne is obviously showing how Pearl is there to remind Hester and Dimmesdale of their horrible sin, and to further escalate their pain and suffering. .
The next scene that supplements my opinion is when Pear wipes Dimmesdale's kiss from her forehead. Hester and Dimmesdale are revealing their emotions to one another in the forest. Hester is sure that Dimmesdale "wilt love thou dearly." When Hester asks Pearl to come to them, Pearl "stretched out her hand, and pointed evidently toward her mother's breast." She finally came over and kissed Hester, then "kissed the scarlet letter too." Dimmesdale then, hoping Pearl would show some affection, "bent forward and impressed one on her brow.
