Blogpost #3

Blogpost #3: Chapters 6-8

So, in chapter six, we finally find out the baby girl’s name. Pearl. Her mother’s only treasure. Very sweet, I must say. In the beginning of the story, she was just kind of the product of the sin. Hester is worried for Pearl. She views are sin as evil and worried that since Pearl is indeed a product of evil, she will be evil. (Does that make sense?) She dreaded her daughter would have darkness running the her veins; for evil would just be in her nature. But, alas, Pearl ends up being the opposite of Hester’s predictions. She’s beautiful, full of light, and, most of all, passionate. On the other hand, she’s feisty, wild, defiant, and hot tempered. Now, when I initially heard she was passionate I thought, “Uh oh.” Wasn’t passion what got her mother in trouble in the first place? Pearl is the actual product of passion, it’s not surprise she’s passionate herself. Pearl spends her days as an outcast. The girl who’s mother committed sin. Pearl starts to notice Hester’s A, and whenever she looks at it, Hester pictures her with devilish qualities. A little weird for a mother to picture, in my opinion. I sort of feel as though Hester’s a little paranoid, though. It’s natural for Pearl to become aware of the A. It’s normal for a child to be defiant. I think Hester is overreacting. It’s not that hard to do when the whole town thinks your child is the product of demons. When Pearl throws the flowers at the scarlet letter, it  wounds Hester. Hurts her so much she cries. Then, Hester’s asks her what she is and she answers, “You guess! Thy Heavenly Father sent thee!” Whoa. Creepy. Now, I think she’s no longer overreacting. 

In chapter seven, Pearl makes efforts to clear up the rumor that Pearl is being taken away from her by going right to the source: the Governor. On this little field trip, she brings Pearl, who’s wearing a scarlet colored dress. This obviously only reminds everybody of the scarlet letter on her chest. Not one of Hester’s smartest moves, clearly.  While waiting to speak to the Governor, Pearl discovers a mirror at his house that deforms the figures reflected in it. When Hester looks in the mirror, her letter is “the most prominent feature of her appearance”. This translates that’s that is what Hester has become - her sin. It consumes her life. Altered everyone’s opinion of her. Maybe even altered her opinion of herself. This mirror also has Hester believing her daughter is an “imp” or a devilish creature. Then, one of the red roses in the garden makes Pearl cry. Weird. Is it the fact that red roses represent love that make her cry? Because she is not a product of love, but one of lust? 

In chapter eight, the Governor and his ministers ask why Pearl shouldn’t be taken away from Hester. She points to the scarlet letter, meaning that they’ve taken so much from her, she should be able to keep this. Which is honestly the dumbest thing to do. The whole reason they want to take her way is BECAUSE of the things she’s done. (DUH, HESTER.) Wilson wants to know if she’s teaching Pearl religion, so he asks her, “Who made thee?”, which is a basic answer asked of most children. To this, she tells them that Hester plucked her off one of the mysterious roses that grew on the prison door. (Hence, the feistiness). They take her away immediately. To this I say, “Come on girl, I know I love my witty characters, but there is a TIME and PLACE for sarcasm.”