scarlet letter
...nd the women treat her differently by constantly sneering at her in public. The scarlet letter is a symbol of what society wants to see. The townspeople soon begin to accept her and believe that letter had supernatural powers. They decide that it meant able. The townspeople's opinion and vision of the scarlet letter changes into the Pearl is an often-misunderstood symbol of the novel. She is an ever-changing symbol in the novel. Hester had trouble with Pearl but she viewed her as her treasure. “One token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another.” The townspeople refer to her as a demon-child. She is a symbol of sin committed by Hester and Dimmesdale. By acknowledging the A on her mother’s chest, she is a constant reminder of her sin. Pearl was a rose to her mother Hester. In a way, Pearl is the scarlet letter because is she had not been born; her mother would have never been found guilty of adultery and would not have had to wear the letter upon her chest. complete opposite within a short period of time. To the Puritan community, it is a mark of just punishment. In the beginning of the story the letter struck fear into society’s hearts. It symbolizes the unfair humiliation she endures, such as standing on the scaffold. To Pearl, the A is a bright and mysterious curiosity, which symbolizes her existence and the meaning behind it. Pearl almost mocks Hester by law exists, at least for the four main characters. Hawthorne provides a sanctuary in the forest. It is used as a shelter for members of society in need of refuge from daily Puritan life. Mistress Hibbins invited Hester to attend on the their meeting in the forest. “Wilt thou go with tonight? There will be a merry company in the forest and I will nigh promised the Black Man that comely Hester Prynne should make one,” she said. For Pearl, the forest is a place where she can run and play freely. It also represents a dark world where witches gather, and where Dimmesdale can acknowledge his sin to Hester, but not to the world. In the forest, Dimmesdale openly tells Hester of his love for her. The forest is freedom. Hester can be herself and not be hidden behind her shame. The forest can be a place of honestly but will always be a place of darkness and evil. The cemetery and the prison are negative things representing evil, while the rosebush represents po...