Scarlet Letter (2)
Reading more into the novel “The Scarlett Letter”, the (main) character Hester Prynne is in prison for adultery in a town in Massachusetts. The era is around the reign of the puritan belief and order. Thus, after being publicly humiliated Hester goes back to prison and is visited by her husband “Mr. Chillingworth” and is told to keep his real identity a secret or her lover will be his first motive for him to reveal to the public. Hester goes through emotional pain after her release from jail as she moves to the outskirts of the town where old abandoned settlement was once before. Hester Prynne takes up her own dealings with knitting and thus provides for her and her child’s Pearl well being. Though she keeps in thought that her child isn’t possessed by demonic forces her doubts only grow bigger as her daughter Pearl grows up. Pearl is described as a friendless, emotionless, and intelligent little girl but also understands her mother’s situation and her own and accepts it.
Pearl starts to be discussed throughout town due to her outbursts in public towards the other town children such as throwing rocks at them or talking in broken language such as if she were a witch. Hester tries to question her child Pearl to understand and believe in religion but she positively answers in rejection towards the Christian religion. The town’s people stir up conversation and try to take Pearl from Hester but, only if she is capable in believing in the Christian religion of the Puritan community. Pearl’s beauty reflected upon Hester but also is believed to have inherited Hester Prynne’s sins, hatred , and evil that was sprouted through Hester’s sin of that lustful night. “The Elf Child” Pearl, is no doubt going to bring a greater climax and problem then Hester’s embroiled scarlet thus far.
Question: How do you think Pearl's attitude and state of mind was really brought up? How might this effect Hester in the near future?
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