Quote #6

In chapter 19 of The Scarlet Letter, Hester and Dimmesdale start meeting in the woods more often to be together and to try to get Pearl to know her father. At this time, Hester has taken the scarlet letter off her bosom. However, Pearl seems to dislike her own mother without the scarlet letter on. She acts as if she wants nothing to do with her. Hester gives in and puts the scarlet letter back on so her daughter will go back to normal. "With these words, she advanced to the margin of the brook, took up the scarlet letter, and fastened it again into her bosom." It is very disappointing and tragic that when Hester finally decides to try and forget her sin and live a satisfied, joyful life, Pearl won’t have anything to do with her. The townspeople, by making Hester wear this scarlet letter, has jeopardized not only Hester’s happiness, but also Pearl’s happiness.

Pearl has only known her mother with the scarlet letter on her bosom. She has never seen her mother without it, so when she takes it off Hester seems like a stranger. To Pearl it’s like her mother is taking away a part of herself, but to Hester it’s like she is cleansing herself. Of course a good mother would do whatever to keep her child happy, so she puts the scarlet letter back on. Nevertheless, keeping the scarlet letter on makes Hester very unhappy and not lively. The punishment of wearing the scarlet letter, for a mistake she made so many years before, has ultimately doomed Hester and that is very heartrending.