entry two: language

"God gave me the child!" cried she. "He gave her in requital of all things else, which ye had taken from me. She is my happiness!- she is my torture, none the less! pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too! See ye not, she is the scarlet letter, only capable of being loved, and so endowed with a million-fold the power of retribution for my sin? Ye shall not take her! I will die first!" 

In this passage,  Hester is pleading with the Minister of the town to not take Pearl away from her. Her words here are interesting, because she admits that she loves her daughter, while at the same time she admits that Pearl is a blatant symbol of her sin.
To add, Hester is showing that even though she committed she crime of adultery and betrayed god, god gave her the child. So even while god is punishing her, he is still involved in all that happens. Even though she betrayed god, god still gave her one of the greatest gifts. 
Hester is also exclaiming that Pearl is simultaneously good and bad for her. She says that she is her happiness, but at the same time, she is her torture. Pearl is the reason Hester is alive, and yet at the same time Pearl is her punishment. She is the shameful real life scarlet letter, but at the same time she is always loved. Pearl herself is somewhat of her own paradox- she is good, yet she is bad. 

This passage as a whole I think is very crucial. I think this is Hester's realization that although Pearl may be a product of her sin and represents bad and sin, she is still her daughter and she still brings her joy. Pearl is Hester's punishment, yet she loves her anyway.