Piotrowski 1

Andrew Piotrowski

Ms. Yeaton

English 10 Pre-AP

16 November 2017

The Scarlet Letter Analysis

Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author of the novel The Scarlet Letter, builds characterization

through his use of figurative language, syntax, and diction. The brief moments Pearl, the

daughter that came from Hester Prynne’s affair, is discussed in the beggining she is seen as a

young child, but as the story develops she grows into a knowledged child that can think for

herself. Hawthorne characterizes Pearl in order to show the deeper meaning and discuss

foreshadowing.

Figurative language illustrates many sides of Pearl more effectively than the common

strategy. The beginning of chapter 8 entitled “Pearl” discusses why the child is named as she is,

and this has a meaning more than catches the eye, “ Pearl, as being of great price, purchased with

all she had,- her mother’s only treasure”(Hawthorne 74). Hawthorne includes this to say that by

Hester having Pearl, she lost everything she previously had. Hawthorne characterizes Pearl as

stripping her mother of being liked by the townspeople, while also illustrating that she is born of

sin. One of Hawthorne’s key points is that Pearl is a child having come from sin and often times

he elaborates on this such as,“...Hester could not help but question, whether Pearl was a human

child”(Hawthorne 76). This is a hyperbole that discusses Pearl’s un-human characteristics.

 Piotrowski 2

A variety of long syntax is utilized in order to demonstrate that Pearl is still a child but is

very knowledgeable and can see deeper than most. Pearl often talks in short sentences; however,

she talks with confidence and is smart for a child her age. A major point in which she

foreshadows, is when she is dancing on a grave and calls Roger Chillingworth a scary or devilish

man. She could tell that this man was the previous husband to Hester and she knew that he was

searching for the man that hester had an affair with. She also knew that Dimmesdale was her

father even though this was a secret in the community the nobody knew of. She could decipher

what people were hiding and things like this illustrate how she is un-human like as she can

predict things that no other grown ups are able to. She is out of the norm and this is demonstrated

to show how different she is.

An eerie tone affects the perception of a character, idea or object, and he uses this to

convey certain things about a character. The main focus of this is set on chapter 8 when he states

that Pearl is like an elf-child, which is not a uplifting statement in puritan times. On many

occasions Hawthorne illustrates a character's bad points thourgh his personal thought. Pearl has

been described as nothing short of a monster in the eyes of Nathaniel Hawthorne, she has been

shown as an elf, the devil, in-human, and most similar terms are fitting.

Hawthorne has a unique writing style in which he uses to convey certain feelings and

emotions to the audience. Figurative language, lengthy syntax, and an eerie tone are used in

order to characterize Pearl. Each chapter discusses more and reveals deeper parts of Pearl.