the scarlet letter essay questions and answers

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The Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel hawthorne, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

The Scarlet Letter: Introduction

The scarlet letter: plot summary, the scarlet letter: detailed summary & analysis, the scarlet letter: themes, the scarlet letter: quotes, the scarlet letter: characters, the scarlet letter: symbols, the scarlet letter: literary devices, the scarlet letter: quizzes, the scarlet letter: theme wheel, brief biography of nathaniel hawthorne.

Historical Context of The Scarlet Letter

Other books related to the scarlet letter.

• Full Title: The Scarlet Letter
• When Written: 1848-1850
• Where Written: Salem, Massachusetts
• When Published: 1850
• Literary Period: Transcendentalism
• Genre: Novel
• Setting: Boston, Massachusetts in the 1640s
• Climax: Dimmesdale's confession and death
• Antagonist: Roger Chillingworth; the Puritans
• Point of View: Third person omniscient

Extra Credit for The Scarlet Letter

Hawthorne and the Salem Witch Trials: Nathaniel Hawthorne was a direct descendent of John Hathorne, (1641-1717), a Puritan justice of the peace. Justice Hathorne is best known for his role as the lead judge in the Salem Witch Trials, in which he sentenced numerous innocent people to death for allegedly practicing witchcraft. Nathaniel added a "w" to his name to distance himself from his infamous ancestor.

'The Scarlet Letter' Questions for Discussion

• M.A., English Literature, California State University - Sacramento
• B.A., English, California State University - Sacramento

The Scarlet Letter is a seminal work of American literature written by New Englander Nathaniel Hawthorne and published in 1850. It tells the story of Hester Prynne , a seamstress newly arrived in the New World from England, whose husband, Roger Chillingworth, is presumed dead. She and local pastor Arthur Dimmesdale have a romantic interlude, and Hester gives birth to their daughter, Pearl. Hester is convicted of adultery, a serious crime in the time period of the book, and sentenced to wear the scarlet letter "A" on her clothing for the rest of her life.

Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter more than a century after the events in the novel would have occurred, but it is not difficult to discern his contempt for Boston's Puritans and their rigid religious views. Thinking through some key passages and the questions below will help deepen your understanding of the book.

Questions for Discussion

Consider the following questions as you learn about  The Scarlet Letter . Whether you're studying for an exam or leading a book club, these discussion questions will strengthen your understanding of the novel.

• What is significant about the novel's title?
• The Scarlet Letter is considered a romance by many literary scholars. Do you think that is an accurate categorization? Why or why not?
• Is Hester Prynne an admirable character? Why or why not?
• How does Hester evolve through the course of the story?
• How do we learn the true character of Roger Chillingworth? Is he believable as a villain?
• Is Arthur Dimmesdale an admirable character? How would you describe him and his relationship with Hester?
• What does Pearl symbolize? How is her name significant?
• What is the significance of Pearl not recognizing Hester without her scarlet 'A'?
• What is the moral statement Hawthorne is making throughout The Scarlet Letter?
• Do you agree with what how Hawthorne interprets the shortcomings of Puritan society?
• What are some symbols in The Scarlet Letter ? How do they relate to the plot and characters?
• Does the story end the way you expected? What's significant about the novel's ending?
• Would you consider The Scarlet Letter to be a work of feminist literature? Why or why not? 
• How essential are the settings, both geographical and temporal, to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else or in any other time period?
• Does this novel give you a better appreciation for how women were treated in early New England ? Does it give you a new perspective on other events from the region's history, such as the Salem Witch Trials?
• 'The Scarlet Letter' Plot Summary
• 'The Scarlet Letter' Quotes Explained
• 'The Scarlet Letter' Overview
• 'The Scarlet Letter' Themes and Symbols
• 'The Scarlet Letter' Characters
• 'The Scarlet Letter' Vocabulary
• 'The Scarlet Letter' Quiz
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The Scarlet Letter

By nathaniel hawthorne, the scarlet letter quiz 1.

• 1 Hawthorne completed The Scarlet Letter in what year? 1900 1820 1850 1950
• 2 Why did Hawthorne write the Custom-House introduction to the novel? he wanted to describe how he "discovered" the manuscript he wanted to write an autobiographical short story he thought The Scarlet Letter was too short to print by itself he was interested in the economic side of adultery
• 3 The prison door best represents which of the following? Puritanical severity of law and the authority of the regime the strength of Hester's determination to live with her crime a dirty, rusted old door separating Hester from her daughter an escape route for Hester
• 4 The rosebush outside the prison door is a symbol of all of the following except: Puritanical punishment for moral crimes Hester's passion Ann Hutchinson's tolerance of other religions the wilderness surrounding Boston
• 5 The blossoms of the rosebush are metaphors for: Pearl and the moral of the story Dimmesdale's love for Hester Hester's passion and her marriage to Roger Chillingworth Pearl and the crime of the story
• 6 Hawthorne's portrayal of the Puritanical society is one of: disgust with the Puritan way of life support for the Puritan way of life contradictory images and hypocrisy none of the above
• 7 Hester has embroidered what symbol onto her dress? a scarlet letter A a rose blossom a bird for freedom a round pearl
• 8 What gesture does Reverend Dimmesdale make throughout the book? rubs his brow places his hand over his heart raises his eyes to heaven pulls at his shirt sleeves
• 9 All of the following ironies occur in the first scaffold scene except: the irony that Dimmesdale is called upon to ask Hester who the father is the irony that Pearl will bring Hester and Dimmesdale back together the irony that Chillingworth chides Hester from the crowd, asking her to reveal the father the irony that Hester is married to Chillingworth but has had a child with another man
• 10 Chillingworth pretends to be of what profession? a doctor a clergyman a lawyer an infantryman
• 11 After she is released from prison, Hester goes to live where? on the outskirts of Boston in another city in the colony of Massachusetts with Roger Chillingworth within the city of Boston
• 12 How does Hester earn a living? by selling wood in Boston by growing crops by healing other people by her needlework
• 13 What is the first thing that Pearl sees as a baby? the rosebush the scarlet letter on Hester's chest Hester the inside of a prison cell
• 14 What does Pearl best represent throughout the novel? a form of punishment for Hester the living embodiment of Hester's sin a young innocent child the unifying force that will bring Hester and Dimmesdale together at the end
• 15 When John Wilson asks Pearl who her maker is, Pearl replies: that God made her that Hester and Dimmesdale made her that sin made her that she was plucked off of a rose bush
• 16 Mistress Hibbins, the sister of Governor Bellingham, is reputed to be: a good mother a cruel lady a witch a Puritan
• 17 Hawthorne draws strong parallels between what three images? the prison door, the scarlet letter, Pearl Pearl, the red rose, the scarlet letter the prison door, the red rose, Pearl Pearl, Hester, the red rose
• 18 To whom does Hawthorne apply the term "The Leech"? Chillingworth Pearl Hester Dimmesdale
• 19 How does Chillingworth figure out who Pearl's father really is? Dimmesdale tells him Chillingworth becomes Dimmesdale's doctor and guesses the secret He never finds out Hester tells him one day in the woods
• 20 What illuminates the first scaffold scene where Hester, Dimmesdale and Pearl are brought together? a lantern a torch a fire a meteor
• 21 The fact that this scaffold scene is illuminated can be understood as: Hawthorne's desire to be melodramatic success for Chillingworth divine intervention bad luck
• 22 Pearl's role changes towards the end of the novel. She starts to "punish" which character? Hester Chillingworth Dimmesdale Bellingham
• 23 What is Hester's response when she learns that the Puritan council might allow her to remove her scarlet letter? she is very happy she indicates that only God can remove her letter she is furious she immediately takes the letter off and goes into town without it
• 24 Hester tries to convince Dimmesdale to do what during their walks in the woods? to get rid of Chillingworth to adopt Pearl to marry her to run away and live elsewhere
• 25 What does the forest stand for? A wild, uninhibited place where passion can flourish A dark, sinister place where lives are ruined An evil place where the Dark Man lives A bright place where flowers grow

The Scarlet Letter Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Scarlet Letter is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Scarlet Letter Quotes Please

Her breast, with its badge of shame , was but the softer pillow for the head that needed one. ch 13

Why does Dimmesdale decide to flee with Hester?

Dimmesdale looks beyong his place in the community and embraces his role as a father. He wants his family, so he decides to leave.

who is the elder clergyman who speaks to hester

The elder minister is John Wilson.

Study Guide for The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter study guide contains a biography of Nathaniel Hawthorne, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Scarlet Letter
• The Scarlet Letter Summary
• The Scarlet Letter Video
• Character List

Essays for The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

• The Little Human A Incarnate
• Perception Blanketed by Passion
• Original Sin
• Hawthorne's "Witch-Baby" in The Scarlet Letter
• Hester's Role as Both the Sinner and Saint

Lesson Plan for The Scarlet Letter

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Scarlet Letter
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Scarlet Letter Bibliography

E-Text of The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter e-text contains the full text of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

• INTRODUCTORY. THE CUSTOM-HOUSE
• CHAPTER I. THE PRISON-DOOR
• CHAPTER II. THE MARKET-PLACE
• CHAPTER III. THE RECOGNITION
• CHAPTER IV. THE INTERVIEW

Wikipedia Entries for The Scarlet Letter

• Introduction