ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -"There was a fire in her and throughout her; she seemed the unpremeditated offshoot of a passionate moment.” Hawthorne is talking about Pearl’s light and innocence inside the little girl. He talks about how though she is the product of a sin she will never be that sin. She is the light in the darkness.

Detailed explanation-2: -Although Pearl is a complex character, her primary function within the novel is as a symbol. Pearl is a sort of living version of her mother’s scarlet letter. She is the physical consequence of sexual sin and the indicator of a transgression.

Detailed explanation-3: -Pearl helps send the message of the importance of forgiveness and consequences. She symbolizes the sin that Hester has committed and the shame Hester has to face. Pearl also symbolizes the connection between Dimmesdale and Hester and the guilt that Dimmesdale has to face for hiding his secret sin for so long.

Detailed explanation-4: -Hawthorne thus uses her young, spriteful daughter, Pearl, to represent the emotions that Hester either cannot, or chooses not to, display openly to others. In chapter 6, Pearl is described as showing “a love of mischief and a disrespect for authority, ” which frequently reminded Hester of her own sin of passion.