The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Study Questions
Chapter One
1. What is the purpose of Chapter One?
2. What are the first two things the Puritans establish?
3. What item in nature stands in sharp contrast to its surroundings?
Chapter Two
1. Where has Hester been staying?
2. What does she carry when she emerges?
3. What is Hester’s sin?
4. Describe how Hester is dressed (not the A).
5. What is the town’s opinion of Hester?
6. What are Hester’s three punishments?
7. Describe Hester’s A.
8. As Hester stands on the scaffold, what does she think about?
9. Where is Hester’s husband?
10. What does Hester’s husband do for a living?
11. What physical deformity does Hester’s husband have?
Chapter Three
1. Describe the man whom Hester recognizes in the crowd.
2. How is he related to Hester?
3. What do the townspeople know about him?
4. What signal does the recognized man give to Hester?
5. As he states to himself, what are the stranger’s intentions?
6. What does John Wilson ask Hester?
7. Who else stands with Wilson?
8. Where are they standing?
9. Describe Reverend Dimmesdale.
10. What do the townspeople think of Reverend Dimmesdale?
11. What does Dimmesdale ask Hester?
12. What is Hester’s reply?
Chapter Four
1. What is the doctor’s name?
2. Why has the doctor been asked to visit Hester?
3. Why is Hester afraid to give the medicine to the baby?
4. Whom does Chillingworth blame for Hester’s sin?
5. Why does he blame this person?
6. Why is Chillingworth going to sty in the town?
7. What information does Hester agree to keep secret?
Chapter Five
1. How will Hester’s life be harder after prison than when she was in prison?
2. Why does Hester not leave town?
3. Where does Hester live?
4. How does she support herself?
5. How do people react to Hester?
Chapter Six
1. Why does Hester name her daughter Pearl?
2. Describe Pearl’s appearance and character.
3. What object fascinates Pearl?
Chapter Seven
1. Give the two reasons why Hester visits Governor Bellingham.
2. How is Pearl’s dress indicative of Hester’s life?
3. How does the armor reflect the book’s theme?
4. What object does Pearl desire?
Chapter Eight
1. What four people comprise the group approaching Hester and Pearl.
2. What does Pearl answer when Wilson asks her about who made her?
3. What is Hester’s reply when they talk about taking Pearl from Hester?
4. What is Dimmesdale’s opinion about the matter?
5. Describe the encounter between Dimmesdale and Pearl.
Chapter Nine
1. What façade does Chillingworth present to society?
2. What is Chillingworth’s motive?
Chapter Ten
1. Explain the change in Chillingworth’s motive.
2. What is Dimmesdale’s explanation about a person’s keeping a sin hidden?
3. Pearl interrupts their discussion. What several things is she doing?
4. What question of Chillingworth enrages Dimmesdale?
5. What causes Chillingworth such joy at the end of the chapter?
Chapter Eleven
1. What is the irony in Dimmesdale’s situation?
2. Besides “public confession” in the pulpit, how else does Dimmesdale punish himself?
Chapter Twelve
1. Where does Dimmesdale go?
2. What time of day is it?
3. Explain how the time of day is significant.
4. What two people hear Dimmesdale shriek?
5. Which person walks right by?
6. What is that person carry?
7. What two people join Dimmesdale where he is standing?
8. What does Pearl ask Dimmesdale?
9. What is significant about the time of day she mentions?
10. What natural event occurs?
11.What shape does the natural event resemble?
12. What color is the natural event?
13. Who else is present near the scaffold?
14. Why is everyone out and about at this time?
15. Who convinces Dimmesdale to go home?
16. What item does Dimmesdale leave behind?
Chapter Thirteen
1. With whom does Hester decide to side?
2. How does society now view Hester?
3. What does Hester think about?
4. About what does Hester decide to talk to Chillingworth?
Chapter Fourteen
1. How has Chillingworth changed?
2. What promise does Hester wish to retract?
3. Chillingworth reveals his true relationship with Dimmesdale. What is it?
4. Why did Chillingworth not avenge himself on Hester?
5. What is Chillingworth’s answer to pleas to pardon?
Chapter Fifteen
1. What are Hester’s feelings about Chillingworth?
2. How does Pearl mock Hester?
3. What does Hester answer when Pearl asks about the scarlet letter and the minister?
Chapter Sixteen
1. What is the significance of Hester’s choosing to speak to Dimmesdale in the forest?
2. How does Pearl the forest?
3. What story does Pearl want to hear?
4. What gesture of Dimmesdale’s is becoming as prominent as Hester’s scarlet letter?
Chapter Seventeen
1. Dimmesdale asks Hester, “’[H]ast thou found peace? ‘” Has Hester? Has Dimmesdale?
2. Explain Dimmesdale’s despairing comment, “’Of penance I have had enough! Of penitence, there has
been none!’”
3. How does Dimmesdale react when Hester tells him about Chillingworth?
4. Who is the worse sinner than Dimmesdale and Hester? Why?
5. Who is the pastor and who is the parishoner?
6. What suggestions does Hester make?
7. What objection does Dimmesdale have to all of Hester’s suggestions?
Chapter Eighteen
1. Explain why or why not the scarlet letter has been the proper punishment for Hester.
2. What two things does Hester do to indicate the freedom they will have?
3. How does nature “sympathize” when Hester does this?
4. What links are there between Pearl and the forest?
Chapter Nineteen
1. Why is Dimmesdale nervous about meeting Pearl?
2. Why does Pearl refuse to cross the brook?
3. How does Pearl react to Dimmesdale?
Chapter Twenty
1. What plans do Hester and Dimmesdale make?
2. In what frame of mind does Dimmesdale return to the settlement?
3. How does Dimmesdale act towards Chillingworth?
4. What does Dimmesdale do all night?
Chapter Twenty-one
1. Why have all the people gathered in town?
2. What is Pearl’s comment about Dimmesdale?
3. What news does the ship’s master share with Hester?
Chapter Twenty-two
1. What does Hester wish would happen as Dimmesdale passes by?
2. What is Mistress Hibbons’ observation?
3. Where does Hester stand as Dimmesdale delivers his sermon?
4. What message from the ship’s captain does Pearl deliver?
5. What has the ship’s captain given Pearl?
6. How do the Indians and women react to Hester?
Chapter Twenty-three
1. What does everyone think of Dimmesdale’s sermon?
2. What is Dimmesdale’s physical condition?
3. Where does Dimmesdale go?
4. Whom does he invite to join him?
5. Why does Chillingworth try to stop Dimmesdale?
6. What is Hester’s state of mind when Dimmesdale asks her, “”Is this not better than what we dreamed
of in the forest?’”
7. What does Dimmesdale show to the crowd?
8. How does Pearl to Dimmesdale’s summons?
9. Hester, knowing that Dimmesdale is dying, asks if they will at least have eternity together. What is his
answer?
Chapter Twenty-four
1. Describe the various reactions to Dimmesdale’s revelation.
2. What happens to Chillingworth?
3. What happens to his estate?
4. Where do Pearl and Hester go?
5. What eventually happens to Pearl?
6. Why does Hester return?
7. What habit does she resume?
8. How do the people come to regard Hester?
9. Describe the grave.