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14, 2005
Poor little Pearl...
Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter (Ch 8-13) -- American Literature, 1800-1915 (EL 266)
The one thing in this next part of the book that struck me as significant actually occured in chapter 8 (I swear I read all the chapters!) Seriously though, the one thing in this reading that stood out to me, I guess you could say that it really grabbed me emotionally, was when the governor and Chillingworth were harassing Hester and basically threatening her with taking Pearl away from her.
I do not have children, and I'm sure that most people reading this do not have children either, but put yourself in Hester's position--you're a sinner, you have a child whom you have to support and raise all by yourself, you're ostracized, AND your estranged husband is corrupting your local government. I would completely lose it! If I were in Hester's position, I would have went completely rampant. I'm actually kind of proud of her for keeping composure.
Side note--Thumbs up to Dimmsdale...no one else defended Hester in this whole story (except for the woman in the beginning). He stood up for her and said that she deserved that child. His emotions afterward with Pearl struck me as odd...id this some sort os foreshadowing? ::dum-dum-dummmmmm::
Poor little Pearl. She's such a vibrant, charismatic little girl, and all she gets it negativity directed toward her. If that continues, I guarantee Pearl will grow up to have a serious chip in her shoulder.
Posted by LaurenEtling at 14, 2005 02:45
Comments
I just adore how the governor seemed to think Pearl was adorable or something, until he realized that she was Hester's daughter.
Going with your previous "One tough chick" approach, I believe that Hester is most definitely one tough chick for doing such a good job of being Pearl's mother, on top of working and carrying her burden. It made me upset when I saw that they were trying to take Pearl away, too. I agree with you, Hester did a very good job of keeping her cool in that situation. Dimmesdale, too.
Posted by: Valerie Masciarelli at 14, 2005 05:57
I love the foreshadowing, because its almost soap-opera like when Hester's estranged husband becomes buddies with the minister and reveals a very dirty secret about Dimmesdale without even coming out and saying it. Wasn't it cool when the sexton said that he found a glove and a pure hand doesn't need a glove, yet Dimmesdale said the glove is his?
Posted by: Erin Waite at 14, 2005 05:30
Yes, the way that the governor and Chillingworth were treating Hester about Pearl was kind of disturbing. I mean, they are making a spectacle out of Hester about her sin, but here they are threatening to take Pearl away. What kind of religious example is this for the other towns-people?
Posted by: Ashley Holtzer at 14, 2005 06:03
I think that the charizma and the fourious behavior of the little elf child,Pearl, is because she wants the acceptenace of her real father. Little Pearl wants just to live in a happy family. Throughout the novel she is the character in which most of the suffering and repugneca fall most into. she tries to be isolated in her own fantastic world, however,she finds that the world she has dreamt for is just a happy family and care, love, and affection from both her parents not only from the one who now is desputed and and treated with hatered.
Posted by: Sirjan Xhurxhi at 8, 2005 10:15