the scarlet letter test 1

who is the author of the scarlet letter?

Nathaniel Hawthorne

who is Nathanial Hawthorne?

• born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804

• his family descends from the earliest settlers of the Massachusetts bay colony 

• one of his ancestors was a judge at the 1692 Salem witch trials 

when was the scarlet letter published?

1850

what is the setting of the scarlet letter?

Boston, Massachusetts / Massachusetts bay colony during the mid-1600s — takes place in America’s Puritan past

what is the point of view of the scarlet letter?

3rd person omniscient 

who are the puritans?

a group of religious reformers who arrived in present day Massachusetts in the 1620s

what were laws in colonial Massachusetts like?

covered everything from swearing, to excessive decoration on women’s caps, to murder

• whipping, branding, and other forms of public humiliation were relatively common practices in the colonies 

what is the introduction of the scarlet letter called?

the custom house 

what is the pov of the introduction, the custom house?

first person

who is the main character in the introduction, the custom house?

the narrator of the story

what is the setting of the introduction, the custom house?

1800s

what does the introduction, the custom house, describe?

how the book came to be written — the narrator, nameless, was a surveyor (someone who estimates or measures the dimensions of land) in the custom house in Salem. while working there, the narrator finds some documents and a manuscript bundled with the scarlet gold embroidered patch of cloth in the shape of an “A”

what is a custom house?

an office where custom duties are performed (usually a port — where boats are cleared for entry)

who are the important characters?

Hester Prynne: the novel’s protagonist 

Pearl: Hester’s illegitimate daughter 

Roger Chillingworth: physician in town

Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale

the narrator: unnamed; is retelling the story from 200 yrs after the events took place 

mistress hibbins

who is mistress hibbins?

a widow who lives with her brother (the governor of Boston). commonly known to be a witch who ventures into the forest at night to ride with the “black man” (devil - euphemism) 

what are some major themes?

• sin and punishment 

• the scarlet letter 

• punishment vs forgiveness 

• public guilt vs private guilt 

• civilization vs wilderness 

• the occult 

• red and black 

theme: the scarlet letter:

• symbolic 

• one of the most important symbols of the scarlet letter is how Hester chooses to wear it. she makes it herself and chooses the color red. she adds fancy embroidery to the letter as a point of pride. 

theme: public guilt vs private guilt:

shows the difference between shaming someone in public and allowing them to suffer the consequences of an unjust act privately

themes: the occult:

• the novel treats witchcraft and the occult sympathetically 

• Puritan society created the witches by being so intolerant that people became interested in witchcraft as a way of expressing natural human feelings — Puritanism then views witches as a threat to society 

• Hawthorne suggests that witches were created by, and victims of, the excessively strict Puritan society by associating pearl with other outcasts like mistress hibbins 

what conflict did does the preface talk about?

the introductory to the scarlet letter was disliked by people. the author said he would look at the intro and fix it, but he didn’t change anything and left it as is. 

who was the surveyor of the custom house during Hester’s time?

Jonathan Pue (fourscore - 80 years ago) 

what documents did the narrator find?

not official, but private documents 

what happened when the narrator found the letter?

he thought there was no hope in solving the riddle of the letter. he was drawn to the letter and knew there was a deep meaning to it. he placed the letter on his chest and felt a sensation of burning heat. he found a roll of paper that explained the whole affair of Hester Prynne.

how did the paper the narrator find describe Hester?

regarded her as someone of noteworthy personage to their ancestors. Hester went about the country as a voluntary nurse, doing whatever good she could and giving advice in all matters, especially those of the heart. 

what is the title of the first chapter?

the prison door 

what did the founders of a new colony say is necessary for every colony to have?

a cemetery and a prison 

what was the prison like?

15 or 20 years after the settlement of the town, the jail was already showing signs of old age because they used it a lot, was cheap, and they didn’t maintain it

what was outside the prison?

a grass plot. directly outside the prison door was a rosebush, which offered hope. it was the last thing a prisoner saw when he went in and the last thing a prisoner saw as he went to his doom. (the rosebush was kept alive in history)

what does the narrator say the rosebush might have sprung up from?

the footsteps of the sainted Ann Hutchinson, who went against Puritan beliefs and society. 

• this ties her and Hester together 

what does the narrator do for the reader?

he offers a rose from the rosebush to the reader, which gives us comfort in what’s to come and hope that everything will be okay. 

what is physiognomy?

facial features can represent a person’s character 

what were some of the reasons the narrator gives as to why most of the inhabitants of Boston was waiting outside of the prison on the grass plot?

see the execution of a culprit: 

• a sluggish bond-servant, an undutiful child, an antinomian (quaker) or other heterodox religionist, an Indian, a witch (like mistress hibbins) 

what was seen as almost identical in Puritan society?

religion and law  - no matter if the thing was mild or severe, it was punished the same

why were they waiting outside the prison?

for Hester 

what do the mature, older women say as they wait for Hester?

the women should be the ones to choose what happens to Hester - they would sentence her to a worse fate (branding, death)

what are magistrates?

a judge/judicial officer who hears cases and deals with those matters 

who is Hester’s pastor?

Reverend master Dimmesdale

what is an autumnal matron?

an old matron 

what is the difference between what the older women say compared to the younger women about Hester?

older women: think Hester should be sentenced to a worse fate and that the letter is not good enough because she could just cover it up

younger women: thinks the letter is fine because even if she covers it up, she will always remember her sin 

what do some women think about Hester’s sin?

she brought shame to all women and that she should be sentenced to death. since the magistrates only made her wear the letter, they should thank themselves if their own wives or daughters sin

what’s a beadle?

officer

how old was the baby when Hester walked out of the prison?

three months - the baby was born in the prison and never saw sunlight/been outside until now 

what did Hester do when she first came out of the prison?

she clasped her baby close to her chest, not by an impulse of motherly affection, but to hide the letter. however, she realized there is no point in hiding one token of her shame with another, she took the baby on her arm and looked at the crowd with a haughty (proud/arrogant) smile. 

how is Hester characterized?

beautiful and richness of complexion; impressiveness shown by a marked brow and deep black eyes; ladylike

why were the people who had known Hester before astonished when they saw her?

she still had her beauty, even with the misfortune and ignominy (public shame) she faced 

what effect did the scarlet letter have on the people?

they looked at her differently and only saw the letter 

why do the women think Hester made the letter red?

because of her pride and to laugh in the face of her punishment 

what is Hester forced to do?

at about 1pm, she has to stand on a stage at the marketplace, where everyone could see her and the letter clearly 

how does Hester feel?

even though she seems proud on the outside, she really feels ashamed and hurt 

what is a papist?

Roman Catholic 

what does the narrator say a papist might do if he was in the crowd?

might’ve compared Hester and pearl to Mary and Jesus, but that couldn’t be more opposite 

where were the magistrates watching from?

the balcony 

what was the crowd like?

they were somber and grave (sad, serious) and quietly staring at her 

contumely

insulting language or treatment 

how was Hester feeling about how the crowd was acting?

she felt like their silence was intolerable because she prepared herself to deal with the insults. she could react/respond to the insults, but she can’t do anything when the crowd is just staring at her silently. 

preternaturally

beyond what is normal or neutral 

what did Hester do while on the platform?

she started to daydream to escape her reality. she vividly reminisced on her past, like her native village in old England, her father, her mother, her own youthful face

• she saw an older man, pale, thin, and scholar-like, slightly deformed with the left shoulder higher than the right

why did Hester come back to reality?

her past life had vanished and this is her life now 

who did Hester see in the crowd?

she saw a man with one of his shoulder’s higher than the other standing next to an Indian 

• when she saw him, she pressed her baby so close to her chest that it cried out  

what happened when the man saw Hester?

at first he carelessly looked at her, but then his look became keen and a horror came across his features. when he saw Hester looking at him, he put his finger to his lips and shushed her.

what does the man ask one of the townspeople?

who is this woman and why is she up there? 

• the townsperson answers that she was the wife of a man who hasn’t been heard from for two years. 

he also asks who the father is

• the townsperson says that no one knows who the father is, and he’s probably even here right now 

• her husband is probably at the bottom of the sea

what happened to Hester’s husband?

he sent Hester first to Massachusetts from Amsterdam, but was not heard from again in two years. he had trouble at sea and was taken prisoner by Indians

what was Hester’s punishment instead of death?

to stand on the platform for three hours and then wear the letter for the rest of her life 

what does Hester’s husband say?

that he will find out who the father is 

why does Hester find shelter in all the people?

she seeks refuge in all the people watching her because it would be worse if it was just her and her husband 

who were the magistrates calling out to Hester?

governor bellingham, reverend John Wilson, Reverend Dimmesdale 

what is the difference between how Reverend Wilson and Reverend Dimmesdale asks Hester who the father is?

Wilson: tries to force Hester to confess

Dimmesdale: says it’s not right to force Hester to publicly confess; he tries to convince her to say who it is because it would ease not only her suffering, but the father’s too

what is Mr Dimmesdale like?

well-spoken, not very social and rather be alone, shows himself and speaks only when needed. his words are very moving and impactful.

why does Hester say no when Reverend Wilson says that she could take the letter off if she reveals who the father is?

the letter could never be taken off because it is too deeply branded. 

how did Hester respond to her husband’s voice in the crowd telling her to reveal who the father is?

she says she won’t say it. her daughter will have a Heavenly Father, but will not know an earthly one 

how did Mr Dimmesdale respond to Hester’s decision?

he places his hand on his heart. he is moved by Hester’s decision and respects it 

where was Hester taken after she was done on the platform?

back to the prison, where people said the letter was gleaming in the dark passageway 

who is master brackett? 

the jailer. he sought it fit to bring a physician to Hester and her baby because of what Hester just went through and the baby wouldn’t stop crying 

who was the physician?

Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s husband 

was Roger Chillingworth actually a doctor?

no, but he has studied and seen simple alchemy 

what is Hester’s and chillingworth’s first convo like? 

he tells her to give the baby medicine, but she hesitates because he might be angry. he tells her that it wouldn’t give him anything if he would harm the baby. he gave the baby the medicine himself, and it worked. he gave Hester medicine, but she hesitated again. she said she has thought and wished for death, but if he is trying to kill her, don’t think she wouldn’t drink it. he asks if she knows him at all and that it’s better revenge to keep her alive.  

what does Roger Chillingworth tell Hester?

it was his fault and weakness that was the reason for Hester’s sin. his folly is that even though he is old and deformed, he thought he was worthy enough to marry Hester, even though he knew she didn’t love him. (Hester was honest with him and said that she didn’t love him). he married Hester because he wanted to love but no one wanted to love him 

is Roger Chillingworth angry with Hester?

no, he says that they both wronged each other and are even now. he doesn’t seek vengeance on her, but on the man who wronged them both (the father)

what does Roger Chillingworth promise to do?

he is going to do everything in his power to find out who the father is. he won’t interfere with God’s plan for the father by telling anyone.

what does Chillingworth ask of Hester?

to keep secret that he was her husband.

• Hester asks why not just tell people he’s her husband and cast her off, but he says that it might be because he doesn’t want to be dishonored or for other reasons

how does chillingworth’s tone change?

he asks about the letter and how it effects Hester. Hester asks why he’s smiling at her in that way and if he is the “black man” who will ruin her soul. he responds by saying not hers, meaning that he will ruin the father’s instead 

what is a leech?

a doctor 

was Hester forced to stay in town?

no, she could’ve gone somewhere else and left behind her sin, but she didn’t

why did Hester stay in town?

1. she feels stuck by her sin and tied to the land

2. the father is here - Hester doesn’t want to admit that she has hope for them to be together and that he is a part of why she is staying

3. so she could feel the brunt of her punishment so that she might be able to repent 

where did Hester choose to live?

in a cottage, on the verge of the town, not close to any other place

who was drawn to Hester?

children, because they were too young to understand why she was separated from society but was still curious. they feared the letter 

how did Hester establish herself?

becomes a seamstress — she eventually becomes the main seamstress in town and makes things for important people and for big events

what was the only thing Hester didn’t make anything for?

weddings 

what type of clothes did Hester make for herself and her daughter?

she made herself cheaper clothes that conformed to the clothes of society. she made pearl the better clothes

• everything else she makes is donated as a way for her to try and become a better person - they still don’t care and see her in the same way  

• her sewing could be sin as soothing and something good, but she rejects it as sin

despite being an important person in society, how did Hester feel?

she assimilates into society but still feels like she doesn’t belong

how did Hester react to how people treated her?

she never responded. she didn’t pray for her enemies because she feared that the words of her blessings might twist themselves into a curse 

what happened everytime someone looked at the letter?

she feels the sin freshly branded to the point where she almost hides the letter, but always stops herself. it all hurts the same, no matter who looked at the letter. the sin always feels fresh and hurts Hester, no matter how much time goes by. 

what does Hester sometimes feel, once every few days/mknths?

when someone looked at the letter, she felt some relief, as if half of her pain was shared (with the father)

why did Hester name her child pearl?

she was of great price, purchased with great price, her mother’s only treasure 

why did Hester always examine and watch pearl?

she couldn’t imagine anything good coming from her sin, so she was waiting for something to go wrong with pearl. but pearl didn’t have any physical defect, the only “bad” thing was that she purposely didn’t listen. 

what was pearl like?

she was a beauty and her attire always impressed anyone who saw it. there was a circle of radiance around her. she was very intelligent.

amenable

easily persuaded or controlled 

why was pearl not amenable?

she was made form a broken rule, so now she doesn’t follow rules 

what was said about pearl?

she was stained by Hester’s sin even before she was born 

what does Hester see in pearl?

she sees characteristics of herself while pregnant with pearl, in pearl (like her wild, desperate, defiant mood and gloom)