Had there been a Papist among the crowd of Puritans, he might have seen in this beautiful woman, so picturesque in her attire and mien, and with the infant at her bosom, an object to remind him of the image of Divine Maternity, which so many illustrious painters have vied with one another to represent; something which should remind him, indeed, but only by contrast, of that sacred image of sinless motherhood, whose infant was to redeem the world. (pg 53 and 73)
The papist would have seen Hester as the Virgin Mary; a sacred image of sinless motherhood, whose infant was to redeem the world. I believe hawthorn put this example in there to let us know where he stands in the whole ordeal. He believes that Hester is indeed like the Virgin Mary and that pearl was sent in as this wild creature to show the world the way things should be, they way a society should intertwin with nature. Hawthorne places Hester and pearl on the scaffold to show that they are above everyone else, that what Hester did wasn’t a crime that what they are doing is a crime and since she will no longer take part in these crimes, she stands on the scaffold and looks down on them. Much as in the same way they are mentally looking down on her.
I like the idea of the Virgin Mary. Has Pearl been sent to save or judge?
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