Sunday, February 8, 2015

Entry two: chapters 6-10 language

     
      "We have as yet hardly spoken of the infant; that little creature, 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. How strange it seemed to the sad woman, as she watched the growth, and the beauty that became every day more brilliant, and the intelligence that threw its quivering sunshine over the tiny features of this child! Her Pearl!—For so had Hester called her; not as a name expressive of her aspect, which had nothing of the calm, white, unimpassioned lustre that would be indicated by the comparison. But she named the infant “Pearl,” as being of great price,—purchased with all she had,—her mother’s only treasure! How strange, indeed! Man had marked this woman’s sin by a scarlet letter, which had such potent and disastrous efficacy that no human sympathy could reach her, save it were sinful like herself. God, as a direct consequence of the sin which man thus punished, had given her a lovely child, whose place was on that same dishonored bosom, to connect her parent for ever with the race and descent of mortals, and to be finally a blessed soul in Heaven! Yet these thoughts affected Hester Prynne less with hope than apprehension. She knew that her deed had been evil; she could have no faith, therefore, that its result would be for good. Day after day, she looked fearfully into the child’s expanding nature; ever dreading to detect some dark arid wild peculiarity, that should correspond with the guiltiness to which she owed her being" ( 61, Nathaniel Hawthorne). 




     The book refers to pearl as a beautiful, eternal flower. She is portrayed as and innocent beautiful little girl that came from such an evil sin. How can something so pretty and pure come from something so dirty and evil? It's very interesting how the town and even Hester would expect anything other than an innocent child to be born. It's not like she will be born as a demon. But still, Hester watched Pearl grow everyday waiting for her to turn into an evil being, because it wasn't possible that G-d could have given Hester something so special and good from such a horrible sin. 

         Pearl's name is a symbol that represents the hardship and pain that was required to bring her into this world. Just like a real pearl, that needs to be found at the ocean floor and taken from an oyster which isn't an easy task, it wasn't easy bringing pearl into this world and having to raise her. Pearl is a reminder of Hester's sin. She will remain a reminder to her mother and the town for the rest of her life. Hester had to give up her reputation and virtue in order to have Pearl.


     Even though pearl did not turn out evil, committing sins every chance she got, she wasn't calm and docile either. Pearl was not a calm and quiet child, even though her name would suggest otherwise. Pearl spoke her mind and wasn't afraid of the consequences. 














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