The Scarlet Letter Chapter 6 Summary And Analysis

During the first three years of Pearl’s life, she blossoms into a vigorous, beautiful & graceful young girl. Pearl exhibits love for mischief and disrespect any form of authority. This tends to remind Hester of the sein of passion she committed.

Due to their exclusion from society, Pearl and Hester become permanent companions. Whenever Pearl accompanies her mother, she constantly gets attention from curious village children. However, instead of socializing with them, Pearl hurls violent words at them and pelts them with stones.

During playtime, Pearl’s sole companion is her imagination. Furthermore, in her make-believe games, she only creates enemies whereby she simulates destroying the Puritans. However, the scarlet letter A on Hester’s attire dominates her imagination. Hester is concerned that her daughter might be possessed by a monster. This suspicion is further heightened by Pearl’s denial of a heavenly father. She jokingly demands to know where she came from.

Analysis of the Chapter 6

In chapter 6, the author develops Pearl’s character as well as her symbolic role.  She is mischievous and uncontrollable, which is a reflection of the sinful act that resulted in her birth. She is both a product as well as a symbol of an act of love, adultery, a sin, an act of passion, and most importantly, a crime.

The Puritans saw adultery as an inherently sinful act driven by the devil’s influence. Since Pearl is the product of Hester’s extramarital affair, Hawthorne brings up the argument about Pearl’s personality. Is Pearl an evil child because she was begotten from an act of immorality?

Hawthorne also offers a strong rebuttal of Puritanism’s false piety. He offers an ironic contrast between the treatment Hester is given by the community with that she receives from God. even though the hypocritical puritans had punished her, God blessed her with a wonderful daughter.