Chapters 5-8 Reflection

After finishing these chapters I find that Hawthorne's language has become easier to read. Although it became a little boring at times, lacking dialogue and character interactions throughout most of the chapters, Hawthorne's character descriptions and symbols made it more interesting. One symbol that stood out to me was the rose bush in front of the prison door that was described in the first chapter and brought back up in the seventh. Pearl is cries for it because it is so beautiful compared to the flowers in the forest that she usually see. Then when Mr. Wilson is questioning the beliefs of Pearl  asking who made her and Hawthorne describes her response: "The child finally announced that she had not been made at all, but had been plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison-door" (102). Pearl, at the age of only 3, responds that she has been plucked from a ross bush, the symbol for something beautiful blooming from some thing dangerous and covered in thorns. She is the result of this scorned sin but she her appearance is described as perfect and beautiful. Also, Pearl coming from the sin is symbolized in the fact that the rose bush is directly in front of the prison door. Pearl's birth is accurately represented by the rosebush because she is the result of the sin symbolized by the thorns and she is represented by the flower.
Another thing that stood out to me is the kindness of Reverend Dimmesdale towards Pearl. In a society where everyone looks down on both Hester and her daughter, Dimmesdale stands out. When everyone else wants to take Pearl away from Hester, he speaks out for her saying that she is there to bring her some joy but also remind her of her sin. This convinces the other men to let Hester raise Pearl as she wishes. He even gives Hester a little hope of redemption saying: "If she shall bring the child to heaven, the child will also bring its parent thither!" (105). All of the women at the scaffold wanted her to be condemned to death because of her sin, but here he is going as far as saying that she could go to heaven. Then in chapter eight, he holds Pearl's hand and kisses her head showing his impressive kindness yet again.

Pearls's Personality and Appearance:
 Pearl is described at first as having a "perfect shape" and that there was "an absolute circle of radiance around her" (82). Her beautiful and capturing appearance even as an infant is clear as soon as Hawthorne begins describing her. She has dark brownish black hair and black eyes. As far as her personality, Pearl reflects a lot of her mother's characteristics such as her defiant, sometimes depressing mood, and her volatile temper. Also she gives her mother looks that are completely unsympathetic and she never acknowledged Hester's sorrow. Pearl is described multiple times as capricious showing that she is fitful and moody. At points Hester thinks that she is devilish and she is described as an imp and and an elf.

Pearl's Reaction to the Scarlet Letter:
 The first thing Pearl notices about her mother is the scarlet letter embroidered on her bosom and she reaches for it. Then as she grows older, she appears to resent it thawing flowers at it and smiling whenever she was able to hit it. Then when Hester and Pearl are in the Governor's house, she points out the letter in their reflection where it appears to almost overshadow her mother because of the concave mirror.

“The church is the great family of children of God. Certainly it has human aspects from the members who comprise it, pastors and faithful. They have defects, imperfections, sins. Even the pope has them — and he has many — but what is beautiful is that when we become aware that we are sinners, we find the mercy of God. God always forgives. Don’t forget this. God always forgives.”

—Pope Francis beginning a series of meditations on the church May 29

I wanted to find a quote from the Pope to contrast a modern day religion to that in the Puritan society. The Pope openly admits that he has sins, which they would never do in that time so they could look like they were in God's grace. Also, he says that God always forgives, but Hester is so severely punished because of one sin and no one will forgive her.