The Scarlet Letter 21

The Scarlet Letter

Chapter Fifteen

Entry Twenty-one


While Hester and Chillingworth are talking Pearl is entertaining herself. She looks into the water seeing her own reflection. She tries to persuade the girl staring right back to her to come out and play with her since she longs for a friend. But when she discovers the girl in the water won't come out she comes to the conclusion that

"either she or the image was unreal."

This shows that Pearl doesn't think of herself as a normal human being. She might see herself (smart as she is) as a creature came into existence because of abstract feelings and everytime ready to disappear from earth.
After she got boring watching the girl in the water she continued playing with animals. The takes a jellyfish out of the water to melt in the warm sun. Then she takes the leftover "white foam" and throws it in the air to catch it when it falls back down to earth.
When she was done with this activity she recognized some beach-birds near her. She approached them while she collected some pebbles which she threw at them as soon as she was close enough. But when she realized that she injured one of the birds she immediately stops her amusement.

"It grieved her to have done harm to a little being that was as wild as the sea-breeze, or as wild as Pearl herself."

She identifies herself with wildness and since birds are wild and free too, she feels a connection between them. Having hurt this wild, free and innocent bird hurt herself. It seems like she IS the nature.
Anyway, her sadness doesn't last long. She turns toward the ground to collect some sea-weed. She forms with them an outfit which makes her look like a little mermaid. Again, freedom is linked with this. Mermaids are unbound creatures floating in the endlessness of the oceans. They neither have a home nor a family which they are responsible for. They only exist for their beauty's sake (Sometimes this is associated with an evil intention -> seducing men etc).
After she finished designing her outfit she grabs some additional sea-weed to form an "A". She imitates her mother with this except for the fact that the color of her letter is green.
Green - life, nature, renewal, health, hope, piece and harmony. This color is the opposite color to red which is a hint to Hester and Pearl: They are both opposites.
But there is also a bad association to this color: Jealous, envy eyes are green. When Pearl later reacts so strangely towards Hester and Dimmesdale (The Child At The Brook, Chapter 19), could it be that she is simply jealous? She was always used to a mother - daughter constellation and then suddenly a man (although she knows which role he plays in her life) appears.

"The child bent her chin upon her breast, and contemplated this device with strange interest; even as if the one only thing for which she had been sent into the world was to make out its hidden import."

I think Pearl definitely understands that she is the reason for the "A". And this is the reason why she doesn't want Hester to take off the letter. It is like she takes off the connection between her and her daughter. She feels like she is left alone in a world she obviously doesn't belong to.