Pearl: a symbol of evil? From the first time we hear of Pearl, Hawthorne uses her as a symbol of Hester's sin. Not only does he use it to remind Hester of what she has done, but also to remind him of what could never be. He uses many different references in the book relating to Hester's plight, most of which involve Pearl. So is Pearl a symbol of evil? The very first time Hawthorne uses Pearl as a symbol is when he talks about the one thing that catches his attention. "The children's eyes were caught by the sparkle of the gold embroidery around the letter." (79) The scarlet letter “A” is a beautiful sight for Pearl. I feel her attraction to it is not just for its beautiful embroidery, but for what it means. As a child she may not know very well what it means, however, Hawthorne uses it to raise awareness for Hester. As Pearl grows, she creates a letter "A" out of seaweed to adorn her chest like her mother. This also reminds Hester of what she has done. When Pearl is three years old they try to take her away from her mother. “God gave me the baby!” - he shouted. “He gave it in exchange for all the things you had taken from me. She is my happiness! - It's my torture anyway! Pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too! Don't you see, she alone is the scarlet letter capable of being loved and therefore endowed with a million times greater power of punishment for my sin? (94) Hester says that Pearl is her punishment from God for her sin. She's basically begging them not to take her because she deserves this baby, this gift, and this punishment all in one. In an article I read, Michael Cooper says: "Pearl, over the course of history, develops into a dynamic symbol - one that is always changing. Alth... middle of paper...ion, this time without Pearl. By Pearl she is never heard from again.Some people think she got married and lives a happy life with her new family This helps prove my point that she is not used as a character in the story but as a symbol of evil After Dimmesdale he came forward and cleared his conscience, he was able to let go, Hester had overcome her punishment, and that was the last we heard of Pearl no longer needing her as a symbol of evil, then removed her completely from the story. Work cited Hawthorne, Nathanial. The Scarlet Letter. 1850Baym, Nina .writersmodel/pdf/W_P110504.pdfCooper, Michael. “The Scarlet Letter and Symbolism.” Michael CooperWeb. March 12, 2010 http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Scarlet-Letter-and-Symbolism&id=78659