In Hawthorne's early American novel, The Scarlet
Letter, there is not the character development that is typical of modern
novels. In fact, little Pearl is more symbol than she is character. In Chapter VIII
when the Reverend Mr. Wilson asks Pearl her catechism, she tells him that she came from
a rosebush, a statement that links her closely with nature. That Hawthorne links the
product of Hester's and Arthur Dimmesdale's passion with nature is not unusual since
Hawthorne was a Dark Romantic, and since Hester and Dimmesdale's sin is more natural
than the strict Puritanical demands put upon
them.
Representative of the passion of the minister and
Hester, Pearl is impetuous and capricious intrinsically since throughout the narrative
Hester makes futile efforts to control Pearl's laughter at her distorted image in the
suit of armor, Pearl's throwing of thistles around the scarlet letter, and outbursts
such as her refusal to come across the brook when they are in the forest. Throughout
Hawthorne's narrative, Pearl is referred to as an "imp," "elf-child," or "airy sprite."
These are creatures that are ethereal and cannot be controlled by mere
humans.
It is not until the three of them are joined as a
family on the scaffold in Chapter XXIII that Pearl moves from being other-worldly and
becomes fully human, kissing her father:
The child, with the bird-like motion, which was
one of her characteristics, flew to him, and clasped her arms about his
knees.
Then, as Dimmesdale
relinquishes life, he addresses his daughter,
...dear little Pearl, wilst thou kiss me now?
Thou wouldst not yonder in the forest! But now thou
wilt?
When he shows his sin
to the community, Dimmesdale gives recognition to Pearl, thus admitting her to the
community, and in this admission of their father-daughter relationship, Pearl becomes
more human, and, thus, docile.
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