Pearls have always been of great value to mankind, but no pearl has ever been earned at such a high cost as in the case of Hester Prynne, a powerful heroine in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter. His daughter Pearl, born in a Puritan prison in more ways than one, is an enigmatic character who serves entirely as a vehicle for symbolism. From her introduction as a child on her mother's gallows of shame to the story's stormy climax, Pearl is an empathetic and intelligent child. Throughout the story she absorbs her mother's hidden emotions and amplifies them for all to see. The pearl is the essence of literary symbolism. At times it is a vehicle for Hawthorne to express the inconsistent and translucent qualities of the illicit bond between Hester and Dimmesdale and, at other times, a stark reminder of his mother's sin. Pearl Prynne is her mother's most prized possession and her only reason for living, but Pearl also serves as a priceless treasure purchased with Hester's life. Pearl's strange beauty and deeply enigmatic qualities make her the most powerful symbol Hawthorne has ever created. The product of Hester's sin and agony, Pearl, was a painfully constant reminder of her mother's violation of the Seventh Commandment: Thou shalt not commit adultery. Hester herself felt that Pearl had been given to her not only as a blessing but as a punishment worse than death or ignominy. She is tormented by her daughter's childish teasing and endless questions about the Scarlet Letter and her relationship with Minister Dimmesdale. After Pearl creates a letter "A" on her breast out of seaweed, she asks her mother: But seriously, now, mother dear, what does this scarlet letter mean? - and why do you wear it on your chest? – and why does the minister keep his hand over his heart? By saying this, Pearl implies that she knows much, much more about the Scarlet Letter than she lets on. Throughout the conversation Perla is mischievous and teasing, saying one thing and contradicting it immediately afterwards. She refuses to say exactly what she means, which makes it difficult for Hester to give a direct answer. Hester is shocked that her playful daughter has brought their conversation to the subject of the scarlet letter, and even more disturbed that she has suggested that Hester's letter and Dimmesdale's habit of pressing his hand to his heart are a branch of the same problem..