Pearl

Pearl, fictional character, the daughter of the protagonist, Hester Prynne, in the novel The Scarlet Letter (1850) by Nathaniel Hawthorne. A wild, fey child who is associated throughout the work with nature and the natural, Pearl is the product of an unsanctified relationship between Hester and the minister Arthur Dimmesdale.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.

Citation Information

Article Title: Pearl

Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica

Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.

Date Published: 31 May 2016

URL: https://www.britannica.comhttps://www.britannica.com/topic/Pearl-fictional-character

Access Date: February 22, 2025