The Scarlet Letter #3

"Her sin, her ignominy, were the roots which she had struck into the soil"(Hawthorne 74).

Even after being released from prison, Hester is far from free. By committing adultery, she has created her own prison that she carries with her, visible only through the Scarlet Letter that has made a permanent home upon her bosom. She will have to live the rest of her life as an outcast. Such a fate seems worse than imprisonment. The prison she has created for herself seems inescapable, but that may not be the case. Perhaps she will overcome the feelings of loneliness as the novel progresses. Since there is no chance of the town changing, the only way she can get through her experience with her sanity intact would be to evolve.

"But she named the infant 'Pearl,' as being of great price-purchased with all she had,-her mother's only treasure!"(81).

Earlier, Pearl was compared to the Scarlet Letter, as both are symbols of Hester's sin. The fact that Hester would name her child Pearl may be for the same reason that she made her Scarlet Letter so beautiful. Both are noted for beauty, and yet will always represent the greatness of her sin. The action of decorating or covering up is even referred to as "pearling". Hester is most likely attempting to make her sin appear beautiful, so that it may be easier to cope with. Hester's original opinion of Pearl is optimistic, but seems to change as the novel progresses. I fear that perhaps the one who becomes most prejudice against Pearl may be Hester, herself.