Once again, Pearl is seen as a symbol in the novel. The townspeople believe that she is "of demon origin" (96). In Hester's eyes, the devil was taking over his body and manifesting his soul, but now the tables have turned because Pearl is believed to be the devilish. The sole reasoning behind the Puritans' belief is that Pearl is the product of the most frowned upon sin so she must be a living, walking, breathing sin. However, the Puritan community had faith that they could transform Pearl into "one of them" if they changed her moral compass and put her under the roof of better guardianship than Hester Prynne. On a different note, Pearl is also a symbol for the passion that existed between Dimmesdale and Hester in the moment that she was conceived. The passion, so vivid and extraordinary, in Pearl was like a "fire... she seemed the unpremeditated offshoot of a passionate moment" (98).