Scarlet Letter Loss Of Innocence Quotes

Innocence and Identity of the Youth

The naivete of a child is often the most easily subjected to influence, and Pearl of the Scarlet Letter is no exception. Throughout the writing by Nathaniel Hawthorne, she observes as Dimmesdale and the rest of the Puritan society interact with the scarlet letter that Hester, her mother, wears. Hawthorne tries to use Pearl’s youth to teach the reader that sometimes it’s the most harmless characters that are the most impactful overall. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, Pearl has learned the greatest lesson from the scarlet letter through her innocence as a youth and her realization of the identity of both herself and her mother.

While it is obvious that Pearl has learned the most from the scarlet letter, it

can be argued that she does not understand any aspect of what it symbolizes. Throughout the story, she is constantly asking her mother what the letter is and why she wears it. “‘What does the letter mean, mother? -and why dost thou wear it?’” (Hawthorne 149). It seems that Pearl has no idea of the significance of what the letter holds, and in reading the quote, it appears to be true. However, understanding is not limited to the literal meaning of something; it goes deeper than that. The scarlet letter is a symbol of Pearl’s entire existence and because she grew up with it, there is no doubt that she has learned immensely from it.
One of the most considerable justifications of how and why Pearl has learned the most from the scarlet letter is through her innocence.

There is nothing more pliable than the mind of a child, and because of the world that she lives in, Pearl has been forced into the deeper understanding of what eternally plasters her mother’s chest; this is even in infancy. “One day, as her mother stooped over the cradle, the infant’s eyes had been caught by the glimmering of the gold embroidery about the letter; and, putting up her little hand, she grasped it, smiling not doubtfully, but with a decided gleam that gave her face the look of a much older child” (Hawthorne 79-80). Though it terrifies Hester, the fact that Pearl is able to identify that the letter exists is only the gateway to the growth of her knowledge of it. This comes into effect more prominently in the following years when she finally begins to comprehend the scarlet letter’s importance. Pearl realizes that because her mother wears the letter, people treat her differently. She does not know why or how, but she knows that it is not right. One person in particular who treats Hester differently is Dimmesdale. Though at the time she does not know her father, Pearl understands that the scarlet letter controls his life just as much as it does Hester’s, but he is not treated differently. Even so, her innocence takes over and questions why he does not have the same burden as Hester. A quote on page 127 can support this: “Pearl

laughed, and attempted to pull away her hand. But the minister held it fast. ‘A moment longer, my child!’ said he. ‘But wilt thou promise,’ asked pearl, ‘to take my hand, and mother’s hand, to-morrow noontide?’’ (Hawthorne). She knows that Dimmesdale is connected to the scarlet letter somehow and wants to know how. Knowing this proves that Pearl has been influenced by the scarlet letter as a result of her innocence to the world around her.
Pearl has also learned the significance of identity as a result of the scarlet letter.

Pearl has spent her entire life knowing who her mother is and identifies her with and only with the letter on. “Pearl’s image, crowned, and girdled with flowers, but stamping its foot, wildly gesticulating, and in the midst of all, still pointing its small forefinger at Hester’s bosom!” (Hawthorne 173). In this scene, Hester takes the letter off when she is with Dimmesdale, and Pearl refuses to come near her until she puts the letter back on; she recognizes that the letter is a part of who her mother is. The identity of herself is also uncovered as a result of the letter. Pearl sees how the Puritan society treats her mother and refuses to act likewise. Not only does she stand up to those who judge Hester, but she also practices being kind instead. “Pearl was almost sure, [the bird] had been hit by a pebble and fluttered away with a broken wing. But then the elf-child sighed, and gave up her sport; because it grieved her to have done harm to a little being that was as wild as the sea-breeze, or as wild as Pearl herself” (Hawthorne 147). Pearl cares for the wellbeing of those around her, both human and animal. This has shaped who she is through her kindness and her intelligence; it becomes what her identity is and displays how she identifies her mother, verifying that she was impacted the most by the scarlet

letter.
Pearl’s innocence as a child and her realization of her and her mother’s identity proves that she has learned the most from the scarlet letter. Because she has grown up with the letter during her entire life, her innocence allows her to recognize a new understanding of how it has affected the Puritan society. It also enables Pearl to see how the letter molds the identity of whomever it influences. When children are young, they digest information the best because their brain is still developing. This is why Pearl learns the most from it. The letter also allows her to recognize the true identity of her mother because that is all she has ever known. Hawthorne is attempting to teach the reader that there is no age requirement to be most impacted by a lesson. Sometimes it is the most underestimated character that learns the most and in The Scarlet Letter, that character is Pearl
Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Barnes& Noble Books, 2005.