Honors English 11
The Scarlet Letter Composition - 100 points
Directions: Choose one of the following essay topics and craft a five paragraph response that is
thoughtful and well-organized. Include three references to the novel in embedded quote form.
1. PASSION AND CONFLICT: A recurring theme in literature is the classic war between passion and
responsibility. For instance, a love, a desire for revenge, a determination to redress a wrong, or
some other emotion or drive may conflict with moral duty. Choose a character that confronts
the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. Examine the
nature of the conflict, its effects upon the character, and its significance to the novel.
Suggested Development: Body 1- Character's role in the community
Body 2- Character's internal and/or external conflict
Body 3- Effects upon the character
2. PEARLS OF WISDOM: Many critics suggest that if the scarlet letter could talk, it would say many
of the same things that Pearl says. Pearl seems to be just as much symbolic as she is real.
Explain Hawthorne’s depiction of Pearl and what she represents in the grand scheme of the
novel’s purpose.
Suggested Development: Body 1 - Pearl as a parallel to the A
Body 2 - Pearl's connection with Nature
Body 3 - Pearl's connection with Truth
3. HESTER AND HER A: Although Hester endures public shaming and ostracism at the hands of the
Puritans, “the scarlet letter had not done its office” (157). Discuss the significance.
Suggested Development: Body 1- Puritan view of Hester's punishment
Body 2- Hester's strength and haughtiness
Body 3- Hester's outcome
4. ROGER THAT: Roger Chillingworth is the embodiment of darkness and evil within the soul.
However in his conversations with Hester he explains that he was not always this way. Argue
that Chillingworth is a person who deserves pity.
Suggested Development: Body 1 - Chillingworth's dissent into darkness
Body 2 - Chillingworth before the Hester conflict
Body 3 - Chillingworth's outcome
5. SIN, SIN, EVERYWHERE A SIN: Sin is, according to Hawthorne, an inevitable part of the human
condition. Reflect upon the different types of sins committed throughout The Scarlet Letter and
Hawthorne’s judgment of them. Also consider how each person reacts to his/her own sin, as
well as how others react to them. How should people cope with their inherently flawed
existence?
Suggested Development: Body 1 – Overview of Hester in relation to this topic
Body 2 – Overview of Dimmesdale in relation to this topic
Body 3 – Overview of Chillingworth in relation to this topic
Honors English 11
6. ROMANTICISM and TRANSCENDENTALISM in The Scarlet Letter
Hawthorne’s writing springs from the literary movement known as American Romanticism.
Romantics emphasized individualism and nonconformity; stressed emotion over reason; and sought
beauty, freedom, and truth in nature. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau articulated
these Romantic ideas in their speeches and written works, including “Self-Reliance” and Walden.
While The Scarlet Letter is a novel and thus less direct in its expression of these ideas, it is often
classified as a Romantic work. To what extent does the novel embody the traditions of Romanticism
and Transcendentalism?
Suggested Development: Body 1 – The Puritan Community and its Anti-Romanticism
Body 2 – Hester/ Dimmesdale in relation to Romanticism
Body 3 – Pearl in relation to Romanticism/Transcendentalism
Due: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10
Include this formal heading:
Your name
Mr. Manero
English 11 6.0, p. 3
10 December 2015
(20) Organization
(20) Intro./Thesis and Concl.
(20) Treatment of Quotes
(20) Depth of Analysis
(10) Style (WC, Diction, etc)
(10) Grammar/Usage
Your title should be original, thought-provoking, and free from underlining, quotes, etc.
***Must submit to Turnitin.com***
Structure
Introduction:
i.
Universal
ii.
Sentence linking universal to author, title, character
iii.
Introduction of topic (background analytical overview)
iv.
Thesis
Three Body Paragraphs
v.
Paragraph2 with 2-3 embedded quotes supporting your topic (strong topic sentences and
clinchers, and same basic structure as last writing assignment).
Conclusion
vi.
Discuss how you’ve proven the thesis
vii.
Revisit the universal and tie into text