Final answer:
Hester's clothing is plain and drab, reflecting her punishment for adultery, while her child, Pearl, is dressed in vibrant, luxurious clothing, representing innocence and the contrast between societal roles enforced upon them. Hester's plain clothing signifies her societal condemnation, and Pearl's attire symbolizes her unbroken spirit and uniqueness.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question seeks an explanation of the difference between Hester's clothing and her child's clothing. The passages provided span different texts and do not directly mention a character named Hester with a child. Therefore, one might infer the question is about Hester Prynne, a character from Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter.
In this context, a clear distinction is noted between Hester's clothing and that of her daughter, Pearl. Hester's attire is described as somber and drab, reflecting her status as a woman who has committed adultery and is being punished by her Puritan society. She wears a plain, dark dress with an elaborately embroidered scarlet letter 'A' representing her sin of adultery. In stark contrast, Hester dresses Pearl in vibrant, luxurious clothing.
Pearl is often adorned in bright, richly colored garments that Hester herself has made, utilizing her skills in needlework. The contrast in their apparel represents the differing roles society has enforced upon them; Hester is marked by her shame and expected to show penitence, while Pearl, though a product of the same sin, is permitted the innocence and vibrancy of childhood.
Hester uses her daughter's clothing as a form of expression, a way to impart beauty upon her child, perhaps as a means of coping with her own social stigma. In essence, Hester's plain clothing signifies her punishment and societal condemnation, while Pearl's fine attire symbolizes the unbroken spirit and uniqueness of her child, undiminished by Hester's transgression.