Austin's Reaction to Chapters 19-21

Chapter 19 of this section really intrigued me, and the thing that intrigued me the most from this chapter was Nathaniel Hawthorne’s use of mirrors once again. He constantly discusses Pearl’s reflection in the brook. He portrays each reflection as if it is actually her because it is so clear. Hawthorne is doing this to show us that Pearl is a part of nature and therefore, she reflects perfectly in it. “And beneath, in the mirror of the brook, there was the flower-girdled and sunny image of little Pearl, pointing her small forefinger too (page 205).” Every one of her movements can be seen not only through Pearl, but also through the brook very clearly. This is showing that Pearl is one with nature and that she is also wild like nature. It also once again reiterates the fact that Pearl is like the brook. Pearl and the brook both are very mysterious and they both are hidden by deep shadows. Pearl is covered by the shadows of sin caused by her parents through adultery, and the brook lies in the shadows of the forest, which is seen by society as an evil forest in which the Devil works. Hawthorne felt it was important to once again get his point across that Pearl resembles nature and the forest in that they are both outside society, and this chapter gave me a much better understanding of Hawthorne’s point in this.