Hester decides to confess to Dimmesdale in the woods before he leaves town. Upon the walk Pearl tells her mother:
“Mother,” said little Pearl, “the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now, see! There it is, playing, a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me; for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!”-Hawthorne
Hawthorne uses personificaiton to convey the cruelity of Hester's punishment. He uses a lot of personificaiton and metaphorical descriptions of nature in this passage, yet this one calls out to me the most. The sun does not shine upon Hester because it too can see the scarlet letter on her bosom. Just like everyone else in Boston, the sun tries it's best to advoid Hester. This quote displays Pearl's daring personality and willingness to drive her mother up the wall. It was a cruel thing to say to a mother, yet Hester takes it anyways. She knows that her daughter is the only one she has left. If Hester angered Pearl, there would be no one left to keep Hester company.
“…a thousand and a thousand people had met him here, and had written in his book, and have his mark on them. And that ugly-tempered lady, old Mistress Hibbins, was one. And, mother, the old dame said that this scarlet letter was the Black Man’s mark on thee, and that it glows like a red flame when thou meetest him at midnight, here in the dark wood. Is it true, mother? And dost thou go to meet him in the night-time?”-Hawthorne
Yet again, Pearl's curiousity is after her mother. The Black Man is reffering to the devil. Pearl mentions that her mother had written her name in the Devil's book and he had given her the scarlet letter in return. She also says that Dimmesdale had written his name too and that's why he holds his hand over his heart. Keep in mind, Pearl is young and she has yet to learn about the sin her parents made. Her eagerness to discover the truth is what causes her harsh quesitoning.
“Mother,” said little Pearl, “the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now, see! There it is, playing, a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me; for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!”-Hawthorne
Hawthorne uses personificaiton to convey the cruelity of Hester's punishment. He uses a lot of personificaiton and metaphorical descriptions of nature in this passage, yet this one calls out to me the most. The sun does not shine upon Hester because it too can see the scarlet letter on her bosom. Just like everyone else in Boston, the sun tries it's best to advoid Hester. This quote displays Pearl's daring personality and willingness to drive her mother up the wall. It was a cruel thing to say to a mother, yet Hester takes it anyways. She knows that her daughter is the only one she has left. If Hester angered Pearl, there would be no one left to keep Hester company.
“…a thousand and a thousand people had met him here, and had written in his book, and have his mark on them. And that ugly-tempered lady, old Mistress Hibbins, was one. And, mother, the old dame said that this scarlet letter was the Black Man’s mark on thee, and that it glows like a red flame when thou meetest him at midnight, here in the dark wood. Is it true, mother? And dost thou go to meet him in the night-time?”-Hawthorne
Yet again, Pearl's curiousity is after her mother. The Black Man is reffering to the devil. Pearl mentions that her mother had written her name in the Devil's book and he had given her the scarlet letter in return. She also says that Dimmesdale had written his name too and that's why he holds his hand over his heart. Keep in mind, Pearl is young and she has yet to learn about the sin her parents made. Her eagerness to discover the truth is what causes her harsh quesitoning.
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