Pearl: a symbol of evil? From the first time we hear of Pearl, Hawthorne uses her as a symbol of Hester's sin. He uses it not only to remind Hester of what she has done, but also as what she could never be. He uses many different references in the book regarding Hester's fate, most of which involve Pearl. So is Pearl a symbol of evil? The very first time Hawthorne uses Pearl as a symbol is when he talks about the one thing that catches his attention. “The infants’ eyes had been drawn to the glow of the gold embroidery around the letter.” (79) The scarlet letter “A” is a beautiful sight for Pearl. I feel like her attraction to this garment is not just because of its beautiful embroidery, but because of what it means. As a baby, she can't quite know what this means, however, Hawthorne uses it to make Hester aware. As Pearl grows, she makes a letter "A" out of seaweed to decorate her chest, like her mother. This also reminds Hester of what she did. When Pearl is three years old, they try to take her away from her mother. “God gave me the child!” » she cried. “He gave it as a reward for everything else you took from me.” She is my happiness! - She is still my torture! Pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too! Don't you see, she is the scarlet letter only capable of being loved and therefore endowed with a million times the power of retribution for my sin? (94) It is Hester who says that Pearl is her punishment from God for her sin. Basically, she begs them not to take her because she deserves both this child, this gift, and this punishment. In an article I read, Michael Cooper says: “The pearl, throughout history, transforms into a dynamic symbol – a symbol that is constantly evolving. Alth...... middle of paper ......ion, this time without Pearl. We don't hear from Pearl anymore. Some people think that she got married and is living a happy life with her new family. This helps prove my point that she is not used as a character in the story but as a symbol of evil. After Dimmesdale showed up and cleared his conscience, he was able to let go, Hester was then past her punishment, and that was the last we heard of Pearl. Hawthorne no longer needed her as a symbol of evil, so he removed her from the story entirely. Work cited Hawthorne, Nathanial. The scarlet letter. 1850Baym, Nina. “The character of Pearl”. Nina Baym, 2004Web. March 12, 2010 http://eolit.hrw.com/hlla.writersmodel/pdf/W_P110504.pdfCooper, Michael. “The Scarlet Letter and Symbolism.” Michael CooperWeb. March 12, 2010 http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Scarlet-Letter-and-Symbolism&id=78659