Character Analysis: "Pearl" from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

Pearl is the symbolic character of the novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Pearl is the daughter of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, the result of their secret sin. As a result of the sin Pearl's mother is forced to wear the letter "A", embroidered in scarlet upon her chest, so all will know of her adultery. Pearl is mainly described through other characters in the novel, though Pearl's actions also play an important …

…to live apart from the real world. This caused Pearl to become aware of death more slowly than most. The realization does eventually come, after she is forced to leave her little world and go into a broader more realistic world. The story of Pearl has implications for all people as we all will eventually leave our childhood worlds to enter the adult world where death, joy, and sorrow are accepted as part of life.