Question

Why do the leaders of the town believe that Pearl could be a negative influence on Hester in the book The Scarlet Letter

Answer 1

Pearl is a very conflicting character. Her attitude and actions can be interpreted in many different ways as she has a remarkably multi-faceted personality. We see she's a very special and intelligent child, but often her behavior shows glimpses of a darker side as she seems to hurt Hester's emotions on purpose at times. It'd be easy to interpret Pearl as the personification of Hester's sin and a negative force in her life, like many leaders of the town do. But we have to remember she's just a child, and ultimately ends up helping her mother to move on.

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