Scarlet Letter Essay

The Scarlet Letter Essay
Throughout the story of The Scarlet Letter Pearl and Dimmesdale changed personalities. With the personalities changing throughout, the story gives more perspectives about the characters. I found many perspectives and ways to look at wording throughout the story.
Pearl is a very intriguing child. She sees objects through a different light. In the story she remembers her mother as the lady with the letter 'A' on her bosom. A quote that Hawthorne uses in the book shows that the letter on her bosom is how she remembers Hester. "But that first object of which Pearl seemed to become aware was-shall we say it?-the scarlet letter on Hester's bosom!" Pearl also remembers Dimmesdale as the minister who has his hand over his heart all the time. She remembers two important people through symbols of who they are. The perspective that I gained from these symbols is that Pearl only remembers people for their true character. At the end of the story, Pearl kisses Dimmesdale on the lips and he soon dies. I interpreted this as the "kiss of death". "Pearl kissed his lips. A spell was broken. The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father's cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and sorrow, nor forever do battle with the world, but be a woman in it." This quote proves that in the end Pearl loved Dimmesdale. She ran to him, fell upon him, and began to sob onto her father because she realized that he loved her and that she could truely love him too. How does this prove that Pearl loves Dimmesdale? -Kristinaturner 10/5/07 5:18 AM
Dimmesdales personality doesn't change so much as other characters throughout the story as it does at the end. At the beginning he was deathly sick. Soon after we found out he was sick because of his sin. Dimmesdale turns to Chillingworth for medicine and health through his tough sickness. Soon after Dimmesdale leaves Chillingworths side he dies. Dimmesdale wont acknowledge Hester and Pearl. Before he dies though he does acknowledge them and tells them to come upon the scaffold and tells the town that he is Pearls father. He also shows everyone his carving that he did to himself because that was his punishment to himself. Chillingworth told Dimmesdale that the only place he could escape him was in heaven. So the day before the ship left, Dimmesdale dies and escapes Chillingworth and enters heaven. "Old Roger Chillingworth knelt down beside him, with a blank, dull countenance, out of which the life seemed to have departed." At this point Chillingworth realizes that Dimmesdale is escaping him and yells at him saying, "Thou hast escaped me!" he repeated more than once. "Thou hast escaped me!" Chillingworth knows that Dimmesdale is dying and now he wont be able to torture him anymore with his medicines.
Once one realizes that the personalities of characters change, hopefully they will try and see into their perspectives. If they don't see the perspectives, then one will miss the hidden messages that I feel that I found. Hawthornes importance of the changing personalities gives the characters realistic emotions.