Chapters 15-16

Hester runs into Chillingsworth and realizes she really hates her husband. She didn't think she would do so. Pearl is getting very curious about the scarlet letter on her mother's dress. Pearl also notices that Dimmesdale clutches his chest a lot.

Being a nurse, dah, maybe Dimmesdale is having angina attacks. His health is declining. Maybe reading between the lines he could have chronic chest pain from stress. Even though this is suppose to be the work of the "Black Man," chest pain is an option.

Pearl is a very observant child.

Hester tries to reason with her husband but feels he is too poisoned to ever stop hounding Dimsdale. Pearl finds that the scarlet letter is aa button to push that really sets her mother off and she continually does it. Pearl makes hester wonder if Dimsdales chest pain is related to her own shame.

OK Pearl is a normal child. She pushes her mom's button. You are right Karen, Pearl is starting to see that Dimmesdale's (we will call it chest pain) has something to do with her.

Though the exact meaning is unknown to her, I thought that Pearl showed quite a bit of insight to connect her mom to Mr. Dimmsdale.
And I thought that SparkNotes made an interesting point on the subject, that though a child can plainly see it, the townspeople won't because of the belief that a man of the church couldn't do such a thing. (Really tells us about the biases of the time)

I agree with the insight of Pearl. For an author to write about Pearl and really understand it through the eyes of a child is unique.

I think Pearl would have sensed the change in her mother, though subtle, every time she was around dimmesdale. Though hawtjorne doesn't go into detail in this ONE area, you know since he was her minister they would have had contact with one another at least weekly, all of Pearls life. Kids can really pick up on the body language of their family members and I think that is what the author portrayed when commenting on Pearls seemingly innate ability to see the connection between arther and hester.