When Hester, in chapter 15, asks Pearl if she knows the meaning of the symbol her mother brings on her bosom, the child for a while seems unaware of that.
"It is the great letter A. Thou hast taught me in the horn-book.”
But then a flash of cunning lights her eyes and she quickly linked the scarlet letter with the reason why the minister has his hand on the heart.
“It is for the same reason that the minister keeps his hand over his heart!"
Pearl isn’t more a naive child. Her precocity is making her asking and starting to understand. It doesn’t miss much that she will understand the truth about the A and her origin.
"horn-book" has two meanings here.
RispondiEliminaPearl is quick to make connections.