McIngvale English Semester 1 Exam

Scarlet Letter author

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Scarlet Letter publication

1850

Scarlet Letter setting (place and year)

Massachusetts (Salem/Boston area)

1642 to 1649

Which aspects of Hawthorne’s family history affected his purpose in writing the piece?

Hawthorne has a relative (Judge Hathorne) involved in the witch trials

Hawthorne changed his name so he would not be associated with it

In “The Custom House”, what story does does the narrator tell us about the letter and how it affected him?

looking through a box of old documents

comes across a piece of red fabric: worn, tattered, faded (Hester’s scarlet letter)

touches the letter to his chest, feels a burning sensation, drops to the ground

tells the story of two Hesters

Chillingworth’s relationship to nature

Dark Romanticism

perverts natures

kills the grass as he walks in it

where some of his shady actions occur

relation to “The Black Man”

Pearl’s relationship to nature

Romanticism

thrives in nature

embrace her creativity

rose bushes

the green mermaid A

sunlight

Puritans’ thoughts about nature

scary and dangerous place

a place of the devil

Romantics’ thoughts about nature

nature is a source of inspiration

a safe place

a place of magic and supernatural events

Specific troublesome events in nature

The Scarlet Letter: Dimmesdale and Hester must have met and had passionate relations in the forrest because no one saw them together in the town, Pearl is a child of the forrest so is that her origin, where the sin could’ve occurred

“The Devil and Tom Walker”: Tom’s walk through the woods to escape from his wife lead him to the swamp, he kept coming across bad things, signed the devil’s book, his wife was killed, and he was taken away by a horse

What do the Puritans call the devil, and how would someone declare allegiance to him?

The Black Man, The devil of the American forrest forrest

allegiance- signing his book

Hester Prynne’s physical appearance and the changes she experiences

appearance- shiny long hair, perfect elegance- stands out, lady like, dark eyes, strong features

becomes dull: lost her vividness and beauty bc she is a sister of mercy, lost individuality

sunlight and darkness- doesn’t have any sunlight to give pearl, when takes off A sunlight comes around her

adulteress to helpful- rejected in the community at first and the she becomes like a “nurse” and a seamstress

Hester’s treatment by others in the town

many avoid her and condemn her because of her sin

she is an outcast

town’s gossip- judged

Why did God give Pearl to Hester?

to redeem herself of her sin of adultery by raising her well, but also as a punishment

“consecration all of its own”

I have no clue what this even means

love between Hester and Dimmesdale?

Hester’s transformation to a respected member of the community

at first she is seen as an adulteress and not respected what so ever

her actions and dedication to pearl change peoples minds

becomes known for charitable acts and willingness to help. admired for strength and resilience

seamstress and nurse

Dimmesdale’s physical appearance

melancholy eyes, pale, delicate, handsome, reserved, shy, nervous, weak- because he won't confess

changes- becomes very ill because of guilt, physical symbol on his chest

hypocrisy, physical illness, emotional strain of Dimmesdale

hypocrisy- forcing Hester to confess and punishing her with ignominy when he has done the same, preaching to follow God’s commandments when the has not done so

his guilt of not confessing his sin is inflicting illness and pain upon hisself

emotional strain from keeping the guilt in

Dimmesdale and Chillingworth relationship

leech and host- CH is leech D is host

the leech cannot survive without attaching itself to the host and sucking the life out of it

as they begin to live together D slowly becomes more ill by the day, CH is seeking him as revenge

is CH haunting D?- rumor

Dimmesdale’s triumphant ignominy of his confession

confessed at the last possible moment- before his death- good with God before he died, but Hester wishes that she could’ve gotten better from him

Pearl’s physical appearance

unique: unlike the other kids, wild and untamed

dark unruly hair, bright eyes, roses complexion

reflection of her mother’s spirited and independent nature

treatment of Pearl by society

treated as an outcast: isolated and excluded because she is seen as strange

How is Pearl a scarlet letter?

she is one of the results of Hester’s sin

blessing-

curse-

!!!!I NEED TO FIND THE ANSWER!!!!!!!!

Why is Hester allowed to have custody over Pearl?

while at the governors mansion Dimmesdale stands up for Hester’s right to custody- she needs Pearl to redeem herself and to keep her doing good

Questions Pearl asks her parents

why does H where the letter

is the letter related to D

why does D touch his chest

why do people stare at us and whisper behind our backs

What Pearl says when he asks where she came from

I was picked from a rose bush

How does Dimmesdale’s confession and Chillingworth’s death effect Pearl

confession- Pearl is relived and she accepts Dimmesdale

death- Pearl can finally embrace her father and have a com complete sense of freedom

Roger Chillingworth

Scholar, physician, botanist-chemist - perversion of herbs learned from captivity

Roger Chillingworth physical appearance

deformed and misshapen figure, wrinkled, his appearance reflects his inner darkness

Chillingworth connection to the Black Man

Chillingworth is associated with evil and the devil

Black Man- what Puritans call the devil

attitudes toward Pearl, Hester, Dimmesdale

P- treats her with a cold calculating demeanor, observes her to find out who her father may be

H- treats her with bitterness and is resentful, he feels betrayed by her and wants her to suffer, emotionally torments her

D- CH is driven by revenge to expose his guilt, torments and manipulates him in the position of his “doctor”, takes pleasure in his anguish

CH does all of these things to seek revenge and enjoyment in their pain

significance/symbol of rosebush

symbol for freedom, romantic aspiration, and all the things that Puritan society is not

locations of rosebush

outside of the prison and at the governors mansion

Hester’s A

beautiful red with gold embroidery, stands out

symbol of her ignominy and her sin which caused it

green A

Pearl’s mermaid/seaweed A

symbol that she is associated with nature

Dimmesdale’s A

bloody scourge, in the flesh

from self harm?

he is privately suffering cause of his sin

meteor A

appears in the sky when Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold at night

A for able

as the way the community views Hester changes, they see her scarlet letter as a symbol for her ability to be a “doer” and help the community

A reflected in the armor at the governor’s mansion

covers Hester’s whole body in the reflection, makes her wonder if that is all the governor will see in her