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The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter. Discussion Questions. Chapter 5. What is the symbolism of where Hester chooses to live? How does the letter A change meanings slightly in this chapter? What special power did Hester think the A gave her?. Chapter 6 - 7. From where did Pearl get her name?

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The Scarlet Letter

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  1. The Scarlet Letter Discussion Questions

  2. Chapter 5 • What is the symbolism of where Hester chooses to live? • How does the letter A change meanings slightly in this chapter? • What special power did Hester think the A gave her?

  3. Chapter 6 - 7 • From where did Pearl get her name? • What makes the village think Pearl is a demon child? • What grabs Hester’s attention as she stands in the hall of the mansion? What does this signify? • How is Pearl dressed? Significance? • What 2 things does Pearl ask of Hester?

  4. Chapter 8 • How does Pearl respond when interrogated by Reverend Wilson? • How does Arthur come to Hester’s aid in keeping her child? • What symbolism do you see in the scenes of the mansion and the conversations?

  5. Chapter 9 • Describe Arthur’s and Roger’s relationship. • What has happened to Arthur’s health? • What did the townspeople feel about Roger? • What tapestries are hanging in Arthur’s room?

  6. Chapter 10- 11 • Where does Pearl play? What is her attitude toward her mother’s A? • Describe how Roger’s appearance has changed in these past three years. • What plants has Roger gathered? Symbolism? • How does Arthur try to do penance? • What is Roger looking for when he sneaks into Arthur’s room? What do you think he sees?

  7. Symbols used in the book: • Conventional: • Scaffolding • Gold • Colors – red, black, gray • Darkness/light • vegetation • Rosebush • Night/day • forest • Non-clichéd: • Letter A • Trees • Thresholds/doors • Water/brook in forest • Windows/mirrors • Steps/levels • Triads • Moon/sun • Drapery/curtains • Reflections

  8. Characters as symbols: • Hester • Arthur • Roger • Pearl

  9. Chapter 12 • Where does Dimmesdale observe his vigil? • What item of Dimmesdale’s does the sexton find? • What is the sexton’s explanation of how it came to be there?

  10. Chapter 13 • How does the symbolism of the A change throughout this chapter? • How is Hester’s appearance described? • What does Hester resolve to do? What is her intention in doing this? • What is the significance of the statement, “the scarlet letter had not done its office.”?

  11. WARNING!!! Spoiler Alert! • Further chapter discussion questions may spoil the novel’s plot. • Read ahead of assigned chapters at your own risk!

  12. Chapter 14 • If the town leaders have debated whether Hester may remove the A or not, why does she refuse to remove it? • How has Roger been transformed in the past few years? Does Roger sense this change? • Does Hester admit the father of her baby in this chapter? • What is Hester’s goal in this conversation? • What does Roger mean when he says “germ of Evil” and “Let the black flower blossom as it may.”?

  13. Chapter 15 • As Roger walks away from her, what does Hester imagine about him? • What does she mean when she says, “he has done me worse than I did him!”? • What activity has Pearl been engaged in as Hester and Roger talked? • Is there any redeeming quality seen in Pearl in this chapter? (yes, what is it?) • What does Pearl make for herself? What color is it? What does this symbolize? • What lie does Hester tell Pearl? Why might she say this?

  14. Chapter 16 • Where does Hester plan to meet Dimmesdale? Symbolism? • What symbolism is seen in how the sunshine treats Hester in this chapter? • What story has Pearl been told by some of the towns people? • What did Pearl ask About Dimmesdale’s mark of the black man?

  15. Chapter 17 • What is the 1st thing Dimmesdale notices about Hester? • What is the significance of Dimmesdale's question to Hester, “has thou found peace?” • What is Dimmesdale's reaction to Hester’s news? What does this reveal about him? • How do Dimmesdale and Hester seek justification for their sin? • Where does Dimmesdale turn to for strength? (where should he turn?) • What did Hester advice Dimmesdale to do?

  16. Chapter 18 • What does It mean that “she had wandered, without rule or guidance, in a moral wilderness.”? • What has Dimmesdale resolved to do? • What does Hester do with the scarlet letter? What does this signify? • In the meantime, what has Pearl be doing in the forest? • Why is Dimmesdale so hesitant about getting to know Pearl? • The sunshine pours over Dimmesdale and Hester – do they find pardon in the forest?

  17. Chapter 19 • How has Hester's appearance changed as she’s been in the forest? • What divides Pearl from Hester and Dimmesdale? • Why is it ironic that a child condemns them? Symbolism? • Hat bothers Pearl about her mother’s appearance? • Why is it necessary for Hester to retrieve the letter herself? Why could Pearl not pick it up? • How does Pearl respond to Dimmesdale?

  18. Chapter 20 • ** significance of quotation – “No man for any considerable period can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.” • Where had Hester and Dimmesdale decide to go ? Why? • What great change took place in Dimmesdale? • Describe Dimmesdale's interview wit the old deacon, the elderly lady, and the young girl. • Describe Dimmesdale's encounter with Mistress Hibbins. • What does Chillingworth suspect about Dimmesdale?

  19. Chapter 21 • What holiday are the people celebrating? • How is Hester described? Location, etc. • What observation does Pearl make about Dimmesdale? • What does the captain of the ship reveal to Hester/ ? What does this say about her plans? How have they been foiled?

  20. Chapter 22 • What change is seen in Dimmesdale as he walks in the procession to the church? • What does Pearl ask her mother about the minister? • What does Mistress Hibbins say regarding Hester and Dimmesdale? • What is the message given to Pearl by the shipmaster?

  21. Chapter 23 • How do the people respond to the minister’s sermon? • Where do they think he would soon be going? In actuality, where does he go after his sermon? • Describe Dimmesdale’s revelation to the people. • Why would Roger attempt to stop Dimmesdale's revelation?

  22. Chapter 23 (con’t.) • What do the following quotations mean? Who says them? • “hadst thou sought the whole earth over…there was no one place so secret – no high place nor lowly where thou couldst have escaped me – save on this very scaffold.” • “is not this better…than what we dreamed of in the forest?” • Why is it significant that sunshine finally breaks over Dimmesdale as he is on the scaffold? • What gift does Dimmesdale give Pearl at the end?

  23. Chapter 24 • What were the various theories about Dimmesdale's scarlet letter? • What sentence is suggested as the moral for Dimmesdale's story? • What happened to Chillingworth? • What did Pearl inherit? What probably happened to Pearl? • Describe Hester at the end of the novel. Why does she return to Salem? • What is the final end of Hester and Dimmesdale?

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