How are Hester's dress and Pearl's dress described?

• A. Hester: ornate; Pearl: dull
• B. Hester: plain and simple; Pearl: modest
• C. Hester: coarse, somber, repenting; Pearl: fanciful and elaborate
• D. Hester: bright and festive; Pearl: plain

Answer: (C)

Clothing in this story functions as a visual symbol of a character’s inner life and social stance. Hester’s dress is described as coarse and somber, signaling her penitence, humility, and the heavy judgment she carries from the Puritan community. The scarlet letter on her chest marks her sin, but the overall garment remains plain, emphasizing outward penance rather than luxury. Pearl’s dress, on the other hand, is described as fanciful and elaborate—bright, imaginative, and even magical in feel—reflecting her wild nature, vitality, and role as a living symbol of sin and innocence intertwined. This pairing makes sense because Hawthorne uses clothes to contrast inner states: Hester’s restrained, penitent appearance versus Pearl’s vivid, unrestrained attire. The other options don’t fit the text’s descriptions—Hester isn’t portrayed as ornate or festive, and Pearl isn’t simply plain or modest.