Pearl is a great example of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter. In chapter six when Hester is talking about her daughter Pearl, of The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne says, "in giving her existence a great law had been broken." Since Pearl was born, she was actually the scarlet letter, because if Pearl had never have been borne, Hester would have never been found guilty of adultery, and would have never had to wear such a burden on her chest. Also, in chapter six. it shows Pearl's fascination of the scarlet letter and seems to torture her mother by playing with it. Pearl symbolized God's way of punishing Hester for adultery. On page 61 in The Scarlet Letter, when Pearl is being explained as an innocent child, Hawthorne writes "a lovely and immortal flower." Pearl, to Hester, was a flower, at sometimes she was very happy, joyful, and full of life and color but on other days she was "wilting" which brought Hester much grief. In The Scarlet Letter it shows how if a person sins against God, he/ she will pay for what they did, even through that particular sin. Pearl brought some joy to Hester, but she brought even more grief by being a constant reminder of her sin, by pestering Hester while she wore the letter, and by being a wilting flower, all of this shows how one sin can bring you much grief. .
Pearl also did many symbolic things that made the Puritans" ideas of life change. On page 194 Hawthorne writes, "And she was gentler here than in the grassy-margined streets of the settlement, or in her mother's cottage. The flowers appeared to know it." Pearl fit in with natural things, which was considered evil to the Puritans, (Encarta) but Pearl is showing them how the forest is beautiful and natural. According to chuckii.com "Hester's child, is symbolic of changing Puritan society." Pearl changes the puritan society because she is the outcome of the scarlet letter, and was rebellious to the Puritan way of life but not evil.
