In chapter 7, Hester wants to find out the truth if the governor really wants to take Pearl away from her so she brings a pair of gloves she made and takes Pearl with her to give the gloves to the governor. What really makes me think a little bit is that Pearl is wearing a dress the same color as her mother's letter A. Hawthorne describes her as "the very brightest little jet of flame that ever danced up the earth," I think this definately connects Hester and Pearl, showing they both have something represented by the color scarlet: Hester's embroided "A" on her breast and the way Pearl is a little bit "devilish" and "elvish."
Later in the chapter when Hester and Pearl are waiting at the governor's home, Pearl finds a suit of armor that the govenor has worn many times before. She notices that when she looks into the armor the reflection is like a "fun house" mirror and it enlarges her and almost changes her appearance. When Hester looks into the armor the scarlet A completely consumes her and is the only thing she sees. When Hester sees Pearl in the armor she doesn't see her daughter she sees more of an "imp." This definately tells you that Hester still feels extremely guilty and that she still has a guilty conscience. But, it also tells you that this is the only thing that the townspeople see when they look at Hester and Pearl: sin.
In chapter 8, Hester and Pearl meet wtih Governor Bellingham, John Wilson, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. They question Hester on why she should be able to keep Pearl and they also question Pearl how she was made. They ask her this because they want to know if Hester has been teaching Pearl about God. When Governor Bellingham asks, "Who made thee?" Pearl, knowing the real answer because Hester does teach Pearl about her religion, answers that she has not been made at all, but had been plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison door. I'm not sure why Pearl answers the way she does but this makes us think back to the beginning of the story where Hawthorne gives us a picture of wild roses growing by the prison door.
Hester notices how ugly and mean Chillingworth has become and when they threaten to take Pearl away for the answer Pearl gave them Hester threatens suicide saying God gave Pearl into her hands so that she could take care of Pearl. She pleads with Reverend Dimmesdale to persuade them to let her keep Pearl, reminding him that he was her pastor and he knows her better than anyone else. When the reverend takes Hester's side Chillingworth notices his kindness to her and I think this is when Chillingsworth really knows for sure that Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl. Before they leave, Pearl walks over to Dimmesdale and places his hand on her cheek. Dimmesdale responds by kissing her on the forehead. I think Pearl knows Dimmesdale is someone important in her life and that he is someone she should love. I think that she just doesn't know yet why.
Later in the chapter when Hester and Pearl are waiting at the governor's home, Pearl finds a suit of armor that the govenor has worn many times before. She notices that when she looks into the armor the reflection is like a "fun house" mirror and it enlarges her and almost changes her appearance. When Hester looks into the armor the scarlet A completely consumes her and is the only thing she sees. When Hester sees Pearl in the armor she doesn't see her daughter she sees more of an "imp." This definately tells you that Hester still feels extremely guilty and that she still has a guilty conscience. But, it also tells you that this is the only thing that the townspeople see when they look at Hester and Pearl: sin.
In chapter 8, Hester and Pearl meet wtih Governor Bellingham, John Wilson, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. They question Hester on why she should be able to keep Pearl and they also question Pearl how she was made. They ask her this because they want to know if Hester has been teaching Pearl about God. When Governor Bellingham asks, "Who made thee?" Pearl, knowing the real answer because Hester does teach Pearl about her religion, answers that she has not been made at all, but had been plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison door. I'm not sure why Pearl answers the way she does but this makes us think back to the beginning of the story where Hawthorne gives us a picture of wild roses growing by the prison door.
Hester notices how ugly and mean Chillingworth has become and when they threaten to take Pearl away for the answer Pearl gave them Hester threatens suicide saying God gave Pearl into her hands so that she could take care of Pearl. She pleads with Reverend Dimmesdale to persuade them to let her keep Pearl, reminding him that he was her pastor and he knows her better than anyone else. When the reverend takes Hester's side Chillingworth notices his kindness to her and I think this is when Chillingsworth really knows for sure that Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl. Before they leave, Pearl walks over to Dimmesdale and places his hand on her cheek. Dimmesdale responds by kissing her on the forehead. I think Pearl knows Dimmesdale is someone important in her life and that he is someone she should love. I think that she just doesn't know yet why.