In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne there are many symbols in his novel. According to Laurence Prerrine he defines “[a] literary symbol [as] something that means more than it is. It is an object, a person, a situation, an action, or some other element that also has a literal meaning.” Hawthorne uses a physiognomy defined by Laurence Prerrine, Hawthorne "choosing names for [his] character which serve not only to label him but also to suggest something about him": for example Pearl, Hester Prynne, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth in The scarlet letter. Since symbolism appears throughout the story, Hawthorne creates his characters based on the name, physical appearance, and behavior of each of his characters. In Hawthorne's story the character Pearl symbolizes living sin, an outcast, a treasure, and a child with knowledge that most Puritan children might not have. Pearl is the daughter of Hester Prynne and the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, conceived in adultery (49). Since his mother and father were not married, this is a sin in Puritan culture (48, 77). Pearl is an outcast for this reason and for not behaving as a puritanical child should behave. Pearl threw rocks, screamed like a witch and ran away (84-85). She was also alienated because she did not live in a family recognized by the magistrate. Because of the disapproval of a single-parent home, they tried to take her away from her mother (89). This battle for a Christian home for Pearl is the only concern the magistrate has for her eternal life (92). Hester sees Pearl as a “rare treasure” and believes she can raise her son in a Christian home like the rest of the other families (80). Pearl's behavior is like that of a sprite, or she screams like a... in the middle of a sheet of paper... a secret for the audience (219). Dimmesdale and Chillingworth both have secrets that affect them equally but emotionally differently in ways of physical manifestation. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many sensors to symbolize his story with Pearl, Hester, Arthur and Roger to show that life continues even when you have distanced yourself from the stereotypes of the people around you. From Pearl who is a demon child to growing up to be the mother of her child or from Hester Prynne who keeps her mistake to herself and moves forward in life and learns that no matter what law she broke, she can thrive in her life. As for Dimmesdale and Chillingworth we see one liberated when he confesses his sin and one who disappears when there is no sin to keep secret. Like all lives they have their obstacles, but Hester Prynne lives a life learning her way around the road.