Scarlet Letter Superstitions

1402 Words6 Pages
Beliefs and superstitions have been around for centuries, depending on the tales the individual grew up hearing to the real life things a person encountered. Although for some, a tale goes beyond when it turns true or even happens to them. Encountering a witch, demon, or even ghost can be extremely scary but also very eye opening to how a person lives their life and what they believe. The Puritans, believed in witches, demons, and evil characters and quickly tried to dissolve of them. This is show in the novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The novel starts off talking about a woman named, Hester who commits adultery. Due to this, she becomes pregnant with her daughter Pearl, and the towns Puritans are quick to stereotype Pearl…show more content…
This is due to Hester committing adultery and becoming pregnant with Pearl as a result. Through the townspeople point of view, Pearl is a demon child who was born to torture her mother by reminding her of her sin, but to Hester Pearl is her “sole treasure” (Hawthorne 77). The different point of views of Pearl are in great juxtaposition because one is “demonic and [the other is] angelic” (McClelland). These drastic differences come from different character's point of views, but also Pearls changing personality. Although Hester considers Pearl sweet, she often portrays an evil demon. Pearl does these things by favoring the A on Hesters chest which causes her great pain, and not talking about God when talking to the the minister. Alongside those, Pearl often shys and scares away other children as Hester and her walk. As soon as Hester and Pearl enter their house she plays with items like “ sticks, a bunch of rags, a flower...were part of Pearls witchcraft” around the house. (Hawthorne 78). All of these actions refer to what the Puritans believed witches did. During the seventeenth century that a witch has the powers to make “someones chickens...become sick, cattle to run away, or child to become fatally ill” (Hall), similar to how Pearl does not become close with any of the townspeople, and scares away the children when they see her. Pearl also causes her mom great pain when she shows…show more content…
The forest is a motif that is carried throughout the novel where secrets are shared. When Pearl and Hester are in the marketplace, Pearl tries to kiss Dimmesdale but Hester quickly says to Pearl, “we must not always talk in the marketplace of what happens to us in the forest” (Hawthorne 197). Hawthorne includes the inner dialogue of the character to show their mother daughter bond and the understanding that Pearl has compared to her mother. Pearl is also referred to as a witch throughout the novel, so she would not understand the importance and significance to the rest of the people that would name her of their actions. Her evil ‘witch’ like actions is just her normal life. Whereas the Puritans the forest in unknown and a place of secrets and sins, and therefore evil things could happen in the forest and be unknown. Whereas in the town the the Puritans were constantly trying to “cleanse the community of evil...by purging people of their sins [because] hidden sin lurks in everyone” (Hall). Although the Puritans knew sin is in everyone they still tried to eliminate it in every direction they could. One major place they failed, and witchcraft continued to take place is the forest. Alongside that, it was a place for sinners and witches to be free and their normal selves. After Hester wears the scarlet letter the public eye is always on her in a negative way due to the stigma
Open Document