The sixth chapter is all about Pearl (Hester's daughter), and how she grew up. As you read, you recognize that Pearl is different from normal children, Hester Prynne is confused by her daughter. She doesn't understand why her child is so strange. To me it seems that Hester is afraid of Pearl because she is so unpredictable. Later in the book, Pearl is described as a child like an elf and something supernatural living in her own fantasy. I think that Pearl is just like Hester, and everything she does is like a mirror of Hester's soul. So it is her "wild side" that wants to rebel against the Puritan society and the strict rules that make it impossible for her to live in peace with the man she loves.
A mirror to Hester's soul. Good idea here. Pearl is connected to the "wild" or to nature and therefore is a "free spirit". She is not connected to this society.
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