"that little creature (Pearl), whose innocent life had sprung, by the inscrutable decree of Providence, a lovely and immortal flower, out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty passion. ... But she names the infant "Pearl," as being of a great price - purchased with all she had - her mother's only treasure!"
In chapter 6, it talks about Hester's daughter Pearl. She talks about how Pearl is an outcast due to her mother. But she is very mischievous and likes to ask questions about the letter A on her mother's chest. It also talks about how other people in the town thinks she is a demon-child. In this quote, you can see that Hester really loves her daughter and that she thinks she is a gift that god gave her.
ReplyDeleteI think Pearl signifies hope in the book because whenever she looks at her, she thinks about how beautiful Pearl is and she is what makes Hester wants to keep on going with her life. She is so pure she is like a flower growing in dirty mud. Although she is living in a bad environment, she is still innocent and beautiful. Pearl is both a sign of Hester's shame and her greatest treasure, she is a punishment and a consolation. Pearl's existence constantly reminds Hester about her sin but also suggests that out of sin comes treasure. I think it is a lesson in life that no matter if the person or thing comes from a bad environment, he or she or it can still be very beautiful. And also everyone needs a motivation for life, just like how Pearl is Hester's motivation of life.