The Scarlet Letter #3

"And over [Hester's] grave, the infamy that she must carry tither would be her only monument" (73).

No matter where Hester goes, she will always be burdened by the sin she committed and the scarlet letter, weighing down her chest: "The chain that bound her here was of iron link, and galling to her inmost soul, but could never be broken" (74). Even after the day Hester dies, she will always be known as "the general symbol [...] of woman's frailty and sinful passion" (73). Hester does not fight this. She continues to take on this punishment every day because she knows she committed a sin and deserves to face the consequences. Unfortunately, Pearl is also facing these consequences. When Pearl dies, she will be known as the daughter of an adulteress; a token of her mother's shame. Pearl is already labeled as an outcast even before she is able to talk. It is not fair to her because she will grow up having difficulty "adapt[ing] to the world into which she was born" (83), which is all her mother's fault. Pearl will suffer because of her mother's wrongdoings.


"Hester was ultimately compelled to stand aside, and permit the child to be swayed by her own impulses" (84).

Hester may think she is doing the right thing by stepping aside, but letting Pearl have the power to dictate will cause problems when she grows older. Scriptural authority is used as a "wholesome regimen for the growth and promotion of all childish virtues" (84) and since Pearl is not being taught under these virtues, people will consider her even more of an outcast. As it is, Pearl "could not be made amenable to rules" (83), which makes stepping aside an even worse idea. Pearl is already accustomed to doing as she pleases, so what makes her think she needs to follow the law when she grows up? Nothing, because she was not taught to value it. Not only will Hester hurt Pearl by allowing her to do whatever she likes, but she will also be hurting her own reputation. People will look at Hester in disgust at how poorly she raised her child. Any flaw of Pearl's will be Hester's fault and the result of ill- parenting. While Hester is the reality of sin, Pearl is the result of this reality. When Pearl grows older and faces people giving her disdainful looks, she will only become frustrated. Pearl will suffer and have difficulty in finding happiness. Hester also continues to compare Pearl to the Devil, doubting that God "had given her a lovely child" (81).