Passage From the Text
" We have as yet hardly spoken of the infant; that little creature, whose innocent life had sprung, by the inscrutable decree of Providence, a lovely and immortal flower, out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty passion. How strange it seemed to the sad woman, as she watched the growth, and the beauty that became every day more brilliant, and the intelligence that threw its quivering sunshine over the tiny features of this child! Her Pearl!-- For so had Hester called her; not as a name expressive of her aspect, which had nothing of the calm, white, unimpassioned lustre that would be indicated by the comparison. But she named the infant 'Pearl,' as being of great price,-- purchased with all she had,-- her mother's only treasure! " (81)
Response to the Text
10) This reminds me of 1984 in that Pearl is to Hester what Julia is to Winston. Both Winston and Hester are in situations that can only be described as incredibly bleak, and both characters exist in societies that are oppressive. Pearl and Julia are important because they are the saving grace of their respective characters. In the situations that Hester and Winston are in, it would be very easy to give up and sink in to the dark reaches of society and cease to participate at all. For Winston, Julia is his hope and source of happiness that he needs to survive. Without her he wouldn't have opposed Big Brother anywhere outside of his own mind. (6) For Hester, Pearl is her reason to work to provide for her daughter and to keep her from falling into the same mistakes that she did. Both Hester and Winston's situations are also controversial in their stories because they both are rebels against society. Hester begins with open rebellion against the established order with her adultery, but she then only opposes the Puritan society in her thoughts and in her upbringing of Pearl. Winston is the opposite as he begins only thinking rebellious thoughts that eventually work him into acting out against Big Brother. Pearl and Julia are the outlets for rebellion and happiness that their respective characters need in order to thrive.