(Scarlet Letter) Jesus, Birds, and Pearl

If you don't read the Bible, do I have some great news for you! (even if you do read the Bible, it's still pretty good news)

Through the miracle of the internet, you can search for certain phrases in the Bible by using a Concordance....well, at least I know you can search...I'll check on the name on Monday These will save your life in AP, college, and possibly regular English courses (for your friends). I only used one once last year, but there are several. Unfortunately I lost the name, but you can google to find one.

Anyways, I'll post that separately so that many people can see this wonderous fact.

Now about the phrases from the Bible. The one about a pearl is from Matthew 13:46 which reads

"Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."

Combined with the Indepth character analysis from www.sparknotes.com (another good site, but use for research only. Many students know about it, so therefore almost all of the teachers do) which says that Pearl is basically Hester's only reason for living, which I think relates to this because (this is my opinion, there will be others I'm sure) Hestor sold all of her reason for life to have her child and now that is all that she has.

The only relationship I found between Jesus and birds is from Matthew 8:20 and Luke 9:58 which read

"And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head."

The most I can figure here is that Pearl has no one to call father for most of the story i.e. no place to lay her head. But keep in mind, it's midnight after a long week, so don't think it's necessarily correct.

As to Pearl Fomation, here's a nice summary from http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/ZooGoer/2002/1/books.cfm

Pearl formation begins when something irritates a mollusk’s mantle, a tissue that secretes shell material. The shell material coats the irritant in thin layers. Contrary to popular belief, a grain of sand is only very rarely the stimulus, technically called the nucleus, for pearl formation. More usual stimuli are organic, such as parasites, small crabs, stray food particles, or even small fish. (Mechanical damage that moves mantle tissue to another part of the animal’s body will also stimulate pearl development.) The shape of the nucleus then influences the shape of the pearl. Natural pearls are thus seldom perfectly round like the cultured pearls we see today. The nuclei of cultured pearls are usually tiny beads cut from the shells of mussels. These beads are normally inserted into domesticated oysters, and in a few years’ time the oysters are harvested and the pearls extracted.

I think this relates to the character Pearl because she was conceived in sin, which would be like the grain of sand or parasites etc. that usually for the nucleus. The layers are added around it, like pregnancy. It even takes a long time to form.

A side note, Pearls come in a multitude of colors, but they are pure, rare, and take lots of time to make.

As to any other meanings to her name.......I got nothing. Sorry!

Anyways, I hope that this helps. I'll keep an eye out on info for ya'. Let me know how it goes and good luck!

It's merely ironic that her name is Pearl. If your teacher wants you to find any association with Jesus, you gotta look at sparknotes because most English teachers try to find any association with the bible in literature (I read it in my English class, and my teacher thinks there isn't any). The thing about Pearl is that her name is beautiful while she isn't. Why would God give Hester, a sinner, a wonderful daughter? Instead, God gives Hester the evil, sinful demonchild that belongs in the forest. I sort of thought that Dimmesdale was like Jesus. He tried to seem like a martyr throughout the story, and he ended up dying for the sins and inhumanity of man towards him of the people of Boston. Oh well. What do I know? I only read the book twice.

I think the main reason Hester named her "Pearl" was to show her daughter as "being of great price--purchased with all her mother had!" (chapter 6). According to Sparknotes.com, Pearl is a biblical allegory as Pianogirl said above: the "pearl of great price"--Salvation!

soozin wrote:I think the main reason Hester named her "Pearl" was to show her daughter as "being of great price--purchased with all her mother had!" (chapter 6). According to Sparknotes.com, Pearl is a biblical allegory as Pianogirl said above: the "pearl of great price"--Salvation!

this may be true but could it be that she isnamed "Pearl"because she is :D white

Lol, I'm pretty sure most of the major characters that they took seriously were white back then.

And welcome back from where ever you've been cb5569.