I really enjoyed our discussion in class about Hester and Pearl's Relationship in The Scarlet Letter that Nabila presented. I think that Hester needs Pearl more as a companion than as a daughter. There is no doubt that Hester loves Pearl, but she is not the best mother figure. On the way to Governor Bellingham's mansion, Pearl asks her mother for some sunshine and Hester says she has no sunshine to give Pearl. I think it is very ironic that Hester realizes and admits that she does not have a lot to give Pearl, but she still fights to keep Pearl with her. Is Hester acting out of a maternal love for Pearl, or is she being selfish? Pearl shares her shame with her. I think that one of the reasons that she dresses Pearl so extravigantly is so Pearl has more attention focused on her than on Hester when they go out in public together. Whether or not she does this on purpose, it is an important point.
I also think that Pearl is the epitome of truth and she torments Hester because she is concealing the truth about her real father, Dimmesdale. Pearl is the living example of the phrase, "the truth will set your free" because she is the one who "kissed [Dimmesdale's] lips [and] a spell was broken." As soon as the truth comes out, the it is important to note that the symbol of truth breaks the spell upon kissing her father. When pearl and Hester met Dimmesdale in the woods in chapter 19, Pearl is aware that Hester is trying to hide the truth of her sin and "stretched out her hand, with the small forefinger extended and pointing evidently towards her mother's breast." The symbol of truth will not be happy until her mother takes her honest form, the form of the adulterous. She also seems to control the sunshine in the forest by sucking it up herself and keeping it away from the untruthful Hester and Dimmesdale.
Posted by TrishaWehrle at September 21, 2004 11:56 AMHi Trisha!,
I think that Hester fights to keep Pearl purely out of maternal love. Any mother would fight to keep her child, especially if it is the only piece of family she has left. Also being with Hester is the best place for Pearl to grow up.I liked the point u made about Hester dressing Pearl to take the attention away from herself. It is a rather clever idea of Hester, I wonder if people in today's society would do the same?
Hey Erin,
I think people today are more worried about their kids attracting attention to them. It seems like nowadays children are not disciplined or controlled nearly as harshly as they were in the Puritan era. Crying babies, two year olds throwing tantrums, and backtalking teenagers always cause a glance or sneer from onlookers. It seems like today, people are more concerned with that people's kids do than what the parents do.
Trisha
Posted by: Trishawehrle at October 10, 2004 05:01 PM