AP Language and Composition
Unit 1: Origins of Universal Expectation of Conformity
Dialectical Journal for The Scarlet Letter
Directions:
Students will read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter (1850) to analyze and understand
Hawthorne’s use of the devout Puritan setting to convey universal messages of conformity,
among other messages. The individualized focus will be on symbolism, theme, and purpose.
For each division, follow the instructions and utilize the provided chart below to complete your
assignment. Your work can be typed or neatly hand-written. Ensure to identify the appropriate
identification – chapter, symbol, theme, page number or page range, etc.
Your work is due at the time class starts. You may not email your work and will not be allowed
to print it during class. If you do not come with it to class, it is automatically considered late.
SYMBOLS
Rosebush
Prison/prison door
Trees, forests, and vegetation
Thresholds/doors
Water
Light/dark, night/day
Reflections/mirrors
Scaffold
Colors: red, gold
Triads (groups of three)
Drapery/curtains
THEMES
Alienation
Unconventional gender roles
The impossibility of human protection
Fate vs. Free Will
Guilt vs. Innocence
Individual vs. Society
Hypocrisy vs. Integrity
Self-reliance vs. Accommodation
Division 1: Ch. 1-4
Due: Friday, September 6
Annotation focuses:
 Identify one symbol per chapter and analyze its use in the chapter. Consider how the
characters interact with the symbol, what role it plays in the chapter, how the author
builds, inserts, and utilizes the symbol. What purpose does the symbol serve in the
chapter? How does its presence impact the plot or purpose of the chapter? Vary the
symbols that you select and analyze to give you a variety of different symbols.
 Pick a paragraph or short passage to conduct a close reading of diction, imagery,
symbolism, and figurative language. The passage should reveal something about a
character, setting, argument, or serve some authorial purpose. Identify, label, and
examine. Write a conclusion of Hawthorne’s use of language after individual analysis of
the phrases in the excerpt. Incorporate an emerging theme that Hawthorne seems to be
building based off his language in your chosen paragraph as well.
 Select a passage from Ch.1-4 to do a possible close reading in class on Sept. 6.
Division 2: Ch. 5-6
Due: Friday, September 13
Annotation focuses:
 Identify one symbol per chapter and analyze its use in the chapter. Consider how the
characters interact with the symbol, what role it plays in the chapter, how the author
builds, inserts, and utilizes the symbol. What purpose does the symbol serve in the
chapter? How does its presence impact the plot or purpose of the chapter? Vary the
symbols that you select and analyze to give you a variety of different symbols.
 Pick a paragraph or short passage to conduct a close reading of diction, imagery,
symbolism, and figurative language. The passage should reveal something about a
character, setting, argument, or serve some authorial purpose. Identify, label, and
examine. Write a conclusion of Hawthorne’s use of language after individual analysis of
the phrases in the excerpt. Incorporate an emerging theme that Hawthorne seems to be
building based off his language in your chosen paragraph as well.
Division 3: Ch. 10-14
Due: Friday, September 20
 Assess Hawthorne’s use of language to convey the purpose of each chapter. What
elements of rhetoric and figurative language are used to help build and convey the
message? Can you link this purpose to a major theme that is evident in this division?
Consider the role that symbolism and imagery play in the purpose and/or them of each
chapter.
 Pick a paragraph or short passage to conduct a close reading of diction, imagery,
symbolism, and figurative language. The passage should reveal something about a
character, setting, argument, or serve some authorial purpose. Identify, label, and
examine. Write a conclusion of Hawthorne’s use of language after individual analysis of
the phrases in the excerpt. Incorporate an emerging theme that Hawthorne seems to be
building based off his language in your chosen paragraph as well.
Division 4: Ch. 15-19
Due: Friday, September 27
 Assess Hawthorne’s use of language to convey the purpose of each chapter. What
elements of rhetoric and figurative language are used to help build and convey the
message? Can you link this purpose to a major theme that is evident in this division? Can
you link this purpose to a major theme that is evident in this division? Consider the role
that symbolism and imagery play in the purpose and/or them of each chapter.
 Pick a paragraph or short passage to conduct a close reading of diction, imagery,
symbolism, and figurative language. The passage should reveal something about a
character, setting, argument, or serve some authorial purpose. Identify, label, and
examine. Write a conclusion of Hawthorne’s use of language after individual analysis of
the phrases in the excerpt. Incorporate an emerging theme that Hawthorne seems to be
building based off his language in your chosen paragraph as well.
Division 5: Ch. 20-end
Due: Friday, October 4
 Assess Hawthorne’s use of language to convey the purpose of each chapter. What
elements of rhetoric and figurative language are used to help build and convey the
message? Can you link this purpose to a major theme that is evident in this division? Can
you link this purpose to a major theme that is evident in this division? Consider the role
that symbolism and imagery play in the purpose and/or them of each chapter.
 Pick a paragraph or short passage to conduct a close reading of diction, imagery,
symbolism, and figurative language. The passage should reveal something about a
character, setting, argument, or serve some authorial purpose. Identify, label, and
examine. Write a conclusion of Hawthorne’s use of language after individual analysis of
the phrases in the excerpt. Incorporate an emerging theme that Hawthorne seems to be
building based off his language in your chosen paragraph as well.
Final Assessment
Due: Friday, October 11
Instructions, details, and expectations to be distributed and discussed at the end of September.