"Tell me, mother!" said the child.
"Thy Heavenly Father sent thee!" answer Hester Prynne.
...
"He did not send me!" cried she, positively. "I have no Heavenly Father!"
The Scarlet Letter pg. 90
This exchange between Hester Prynne and Pearl takes place at their home in the outskirts of Boston. This is significant to the overall book because it shows the readers that this child is different, she understands her situation greatly. Throughout the book it is repeatedly stated that Pearl is an imp, she knows she is different but she has odd ways of showing her knowledge. Before Pearl could even speak she understood she was born out of an act of lust, not love. The behavior of this child seems to embody that she is born in sin, for she is misbehaved. The child's response with "I have no Heavenly Father!" shows that Pearl understands she is born in sin and Hester just realizes her daughter knows of her mistakes. The child saying this also means that she is not the traditional Catholic child, which raises concerns amongst the Puritan community. When Pearl is asked who is her father, if not the Heavenly Father, her response is that she was picked from a rose bush. The impact this has on the book so far is that upon raising concern in the community they want to take Pearl away from Hester which leads into revealing the father of Pearl.
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