The Scarlet Letter Study Guide Review

Austere

Severe, strict, or plain and simple in manner, attitude, or appearance.

Solemn

Formal, dignified, serious, and deeply sincere.

Magistrate

A civil officer or judge who administers the law and applies public justice.

Tribunal

A court of justice, official board, or committee appointed to adjudicate or pass judgment.

Deposition

A formal, sworn statement or written testimony given under oath to be used in court.

Testimony

A formal spoken or written statement given in a court of law or under legal oath.

Indictment

A formal written charge or official accusation charging that a person has committed a crime.

Jurisdiction

The official power, authority, or legal boundary to administer justice and make legal judgments.

Blasphemy

The act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously, disrespectfully, or profanely about God or sacred matters.

Heresy

A belief, opinion, or doctrine that is contrary to accepted religious orthodoxy.

Profane

Relating or devoted to that which is not sacred or biblical; treating religious things with irreverence or disrespect.

Covenant

A formal, solemn, and binding agreement or promise, particularly in a legal or religious context.

Dramatic Irony

A literary device occurring when the audience or reader knows vital information that characters within the text do not know, such as the truth of Arthur Dimmesdale's secret guilt.

Situational Irony

A literary device occurring when events unfold in a manner contrary to what is expected, or when public perception directly contrasts with reality.

Verbal Irony

A literary device in which a character intentionally states something that sharply contrasts with the underlying truth.

Character vs. Society

An external literary conflict in which an individual struggles against the expectations, judgments, and legal standards of a community, as seen in Hester Prynne's relationship with Puritan Boston.

Character vs. Self

An internal psychological and moral conflict within an individual, exemplified by Arthur Dimmesdale's concealed guilt and Hester Prynne's internal struggles.

Character vs. Character

An external literary conflict pitting characters directly against one another, such as Hester Prynne against Roger Chillingworth, or Chillingworth against Arthur Dimmesdale.

The Scarlet Letter 'A'

A piece of embroidered fabric worn by Hester Prynne that shifts in symbolic meaning from an emblem of adultery and public shame to signifying 'Able,' before Hester ultimately chooses to wear it again.

Pearl

The observant, emotional, curious, and symbolic daughter of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, referred to as the 'living scarlet letter' who changes after Dimmesdale's public confession.

The Rosebush

A plant blooming beside the prison door that symbolizes nature's pity, hope, and mercy, offering relief in contrast to the grim, unforgiving Puritan legal system.

The Scaffold

The central platform of judgment that serves as the setting for three crucial scenes: Hester's initial public shame, Dimmesdale's midnight vigil, and Dimmesdale's final confession and death.

The Forest

A setting distinct from Puritan civilization that symbolizes freedom, natural truth, and moral temptation where repressed truths can be spoken openly.