With what creatures of fantasy is Pearl continually compared?

• A. Dragons and goblins.
• B. Sprites and goblins.
• C. Mermaids and sirens.
• D. Elves and fairies.

Answer: (D)

Pearl is shown as otherworldly and shapeshifting in the minds of the Puritans, a living symbol that sits outside strict social categories. Hawthorne repeatedly describes her in terms drawn from fairy folklore—elf-like and sprite-like, a child who moves with a swift, playful, almost magical energy. Using elves and fairies to describe Pearl emphasizes her beauty, vitality, and mischief, while also signaling that she belongs to a realm just beyond ordinary human society. This comparison helps convey why she unsettles the town: she is at once innocent and uncanny, a product of a taboo romance who nevertheless seems to glow with a natural, almost magical force. The other mythical beings mentioned in the options would suggest different associations—more monstrous or sea-born, for example—but the text consistently leans toward the delicate, elfin and fairy imagery to capture Pearl’s elusive, luminous nature.