SCARLET LETTER
Cybill Pace
D.J. Faulk
Cody Shaffer
QUESTION 3
In some works of literature, childhood and
adolescence are portrayed as times graced
by innocence and a sense of wonder; in
other works, they are depicted as times of
tribulation and terror. Focusing on two
pieces, explain how their representation of
childhood or adolescence shapes the
meaning of each work as a whole.
I. INTRODUCTION
 A. Hester Prynne is accused as an adulterer and shunned
by all the village while the man that participated,
Dimmesdale, is not known for the sin, though he is having
controversial feelings about his part and responsibility in the
affair. Chillingsworth, Hester ’s husband returns from a trip
and ends up befriending Dimmesdale and realizes that
Dimmesdale is Hester ’s partner in adultery. Chillingsworth
haunts Dimmesdale and, in the end, Dimmesdale dies,
Hester leaves, and Chillingsworth regrets his actions in
internally torturing Dimmesdale.
THESIS
B. In the novel Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel
Hawthorne, the progression from childhood
and adolescence is plagued by much terror
and tribulation. There is negative
development, though there are also many
instances of positive attributes forming.
Through these experiences, the characters
were able to improve themselves.
BODY PARAGRAPHS
 A. As the novel progressed, the characters began to grow and
develop into people that were completely different from who they
were in the beginning.
 B. Rodger Chillingsworth is an example of this change of
character because while he was away from Hester, he developed
a darker side that allowed him to invade Dimmesdale’s mind and
destroy him on the inside. It also changed Chillingsworth into
someone that was completely different than who Hester married.
 C. In the beginning, Pearl was an innocent child. As time
progressed, she was forced to endure guilt and isolation from her
mothers sin. This forced her to mature and realize her current
situations.
 D. Due to circumstances that the characters encountered, they
were forced to adapt and change who they were, making them
completely different people than who they were at the beginning
of the book.
BODY PARAGRAPHS
 A . The forest was a place that helped the characters change
and allowed them to show who and what they truly wanted to
be.
 B. Hester and Dimmesdale were able to be together and show
their af fection while in the forest. This allowed their
relationship to develop, strengthen, and plan for the future,
showing a growth from who they were at the beginning of the
book.
 C. Pearl was also able to develop in the forest, though she
was able to to learn who she was and who her father really
was. She was also able to grow closer to Dimmesdale while
they were in the forest together.
 D. The Forest allowed relationships to develop and people to
express their true feelings, which was a sign of the
progression of adolescence and was a major part of the story.
BODY PARAGRAPHS
 A. The “A” was a major catalyst for much of the developments
that occurred throughout the book.
 B. In the beginning of the book Hester viewed her sin in a very
haughty and proud way. But after being shunned by the title of
the A for a long period of time, the goodness in her was shown
by her charity work. This caused the public to view her in a
completely different way.
 C. The A also forced Pearl to develop very quickly throughout
the book. As she was isolated and shunned by the public,
Pearl was forced to mature and couldn’t grow up like any other
normal youth
 By having the title of “Adulterer” part of the Prynne family, they
were forced to mature from their adolescence at the beginning
of the book into much different people.
CONCLUSION
 The topic of development out of adolescence is a very major
part of the book, Scarlet Letter. The plot of the book is
based off the developments of the characters over time
whether it be from bad to good, proud to humble, or young
to old. This topic also helps us understand that times of
tribulation help us to develop and mature out of our state of
adolescence. Without these trials in our lives, we would
never learn and become the sophisticated people we are
today.
THE END!!