Pearl and the other Puritan children play an important role in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. Pearl is presented as very different from all the other children in the book. The children's attitudes say a lot about the lives of the Puritans. The story emphasizes that the children were to be seen but not heard. However, Hester chooses to let Pearl live a full and exciting life. Hester does not restrict the pearl or hide it from anyone or anything. This is part of the reason why Pearl becomes such a colorful child. People see Pearl as a child of sin; the devil's child. Pearl is the complete opposite. She is a happy and intelligent little girl. Pearl was born with an incredible sense of intuition. She sees the pain her mother feels but does not understand where this pain comes from. Pearl knows deep in her heart that Dimmesdale is her father. She likes him very much. This makes it much harder for Dimmesdale to overcome his guilt by seeing what a beautiful thing his terrible secret is. Pearl serves as a blessing and a curse to Hester. Hester Prynne loves her daughter very much, but she constantly reminds her of the mistakes she has made. Pearl lived a different life than all the other Puritan children. She is a free-spirited child. Hester lets her blossom into the bright child she blossoms into throughout the story. Pearl isn't afraid to speak her mind. “She could recognize his wild, desperate, defiant mood, the lightness of his character, and even some of the cloudy forms of sadness and despondency that brewed in his heart” (Hawthorne 93). Hester saw the light in her child and embraced it. The other Puritan children are confused by Pearl's behavior. They've never been around a child in the middle of paper... her daughter where she came from and where the A came from. Pearl played a big role in the scarlet letter. Her differences from the other Puritan children showed the reader the effect that Pearl's life had on her personality. Pearl was considered the devil's child or the child of sin. Pearl turned out to be quite the opposite, even though she wasn't quite a human character but more of a symbol, she added a touch of love and beauty to a story filled with hatred and pain. Pearl was truly the ray of sunshine in this world. Even though she came from something considered a sin, she was truly a blessing. She helped her mother through her times of grief and brought Dimmesdale out of hiding. In the end, she was the only pure and true person. Pearl was an extraordinary child who brought light to this story. Work cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The scarlet letter. New York: Penguin Books Canada Limited, print