Characterization Of Hester And Pearl In The Scarlet Letter

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, the use of elaborate characterization helps the reader better understand each character’s personality and motive in the novel. At the start of the novel, Hester, a sinner, and her daughter Pearl were shunned and given hatred by the Puritan society however, near the end of the novel they seem to regain their identity and receive honor in the restrictive and cruel Puritan society. To characterize Hester and Pearl in the novel Hawthorne specifically constructs their names and describes them with vivid imagery and discrete symbols.

Hester Prynne, the protagonist of the novel, is shown as a proud, passionate, and selfless woman. The novel evolves around her because of her sin and her punishment is to wear the Letter A. As from the beginning, at the scaffold scene, we see Hester standing proudly and fearlessly in front of the crowd. Hawthorne writes, Hester “was tall, with a figure of

perfect elegance…she had dark and abundant hair, so glossy that it threw off sunshine with a gleam, and a face… had the impressiveness belonging to a marked brow and deep black eyes.”(Hawthorne 50) Hester is given beautiful characteristics here, as if she is a woman to be idolized by the community; her beauty stands out even more when Hawthorne contrasts her beauty with the looks of the rest of the Puritan society. “A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods...was assembled in front of a wooden edifice… studded with iron spikes” (Hawthorne 45). Even though Hester is the one who committed the sin, her beauty and character appeals better to the audience, unlike the townspeople who are described as dark and gloomy. Furthermore, Hawthorne also writes about the ugliness of the prison, stating that it is an “ugly edifice” marked with “weather-stains and other indications of age” giving it a “darker aspect to its beetle-browned and gloomy front” (Hawthorne 45). Hawthorne casts a weak light on the rest of the Puritan society along with the objects surrounding Hester, making Hester the center of attention and the protagonist of the novel. In this use of imagery, Hawthorne helps the reader to sympathize with Hester, the sinner, and to develop hatred for the Puritans who were punishing such a good-looking woman.
Shamed and alienated from the rest of the community, Hester becomes accepts her punishment and becomes contemplative.

“Mother,” said little Pearl, “the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. . . . It will not flee from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet! (Hawthorne 165)” Here the light imagery represents joy or peace and Hester’s Scarlet Letter is blocking her from having any; therefore, when Pearl creates her own Letter A, Hester tells her to quickly run into the sunshine so she does not lose her peacefulness. Throughout the novel, Hester is portrayed as an intelligent, capable, but not necessarily a powerful woman; she doesn’t attempt to fight back for her identity, instead she peacefully regains it. To somewhat cope with her punishment, Hester provides care for the poor and brings them food and clothing. By end of the novel, Hester’s Letter A has become known for “Able” not “Adultery” and she has become an idolized mother to the women of the Puritan

community.
Another important character, one very close to Hester is her very own daughter, Pearl. Pearl is Hester’s only treasure, which ironic in the way that her name is a treasure that many people collect. Pearls are created from unpleasant looking oysters which could be the sin that Dimmesdale and Hester created. She is the living manifestation of the scarlet letter, a constant reminder for Hester of her punishment; however, is the only reason for Hester to live. She possesses a "rich and luxuriant beauty; a beauty that shone with deep and vivid tints; a bright complexion, eyes possessing intensity both of depth and glow, and hair already of a deep, glossy brown and which, in after years, would be nearly akin to black." As she is defined, Pearl is described exactly like her name and is seen as a beautiful figure; the only issue holding her behind is that she is the Scarlet Letter. Pearl always keeps Hester aware that there is no escape from her punishment. "...Pearl took some eel-grass, and imitated, as best as 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 161). This quote characterizes Pearl by showing that she is a reminder to Hester of her sin. In the end, we see that Pearl is given two sides, one good and the other bad. The good side is that she is Hester’s treasure and keeps her happy; however, she has a bad representation in that she constantly reminds Hester of her sin.
Throughout the novel, the reader consistently observes Pearl most content in the nature, which portrays her wild character and free spirit. When Hester was at the governor’s mansion Pearl desired to go straight to the rosebush. “Pearl, seeing the rose-bushes, began to cry for a red rose, and would not be pacified.”(Hawthorne 98) She felt as if it was the lightest place in the dark mansion and that it was the only place that offers her love in the dark place. Furthermore, Pearl just can’t fit in and adapt to the Puritan world of order and rules because she is a “wild” individualist. As she is secluded from children in the society, she has no one to play with so her best friend is nature and is why she loves it with wild flowers. In the forest, she is free and in harmony with nature because nature accepts her. Pearl’s free spirit and growing up in a free natural society is why she comes out to be the best and happiest at the end of the story.
It is evident that Hawthorne was critiquing the Puritan society for their beliefs over the novel through the use of imagery and diction. He consistently associated the Puritans with dark imagery and cruel ideas. Hawthorne disliked the restricted order and command of the Puritan society, he believed that it should be more free spirited and understanding, which is why he placed Pearl into the novel. Moreover, by the end of the novel, the reader can see that Hawthorne has a bias towards Hester and Pearl because even though he puts them into a dark situation he cherishes their thoughts and actions throughout the story.