Chapter 4 – “The Interview”
25. Hester is completely nervous and anxious about
the fact her husband was in the crowd.
26. The jailor calls the doctor because he is afraid she
is going to hurt herself or the baby, as the baby is
writhing in pain as if Hester’s breast milk is passing
on her anguish into the child.
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Roger Chillingworth
• The people of the colony
are going to pay ransom
to free him from the
Natives.
• He is not really a doctor –
he learned herbal
medicine from the
Indians.
• He is Hester’s long-lost
husband.
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Revenge and More Secrets
• Chillingworth gives them both medicine to calm them
down. Hester is at first afraid that he will hurt the child.
• Chillingworth explains that Pearl has done nothing
wrong and that he wants Hester to suffer her life-long
punishment.
• He only wants to punish Pearl’s father.
• He vows he will find out the true identity of the father
and seek revenge.
• Hester agrees not to tell anyone that he is her husband,
however she feels as if she has bargained for the ruin of
her soul.
• Chillingworth responds, “Not thine.” This is
foreshadowing.
• Chillingworth is directly called the devil, “The Black
3
Man,” by Hester.
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Chapter 5 – “Hester at Her Needle”
• Hester is released from
prison.
• She doesn’t like how the
sun shines on her ‘A’,
drawing attention to it.
• Hester has become the
general symbol of
“woman’s frailty and
sinful passion.”
• When she dies, only the
letter ‘A’ will mark her
grave.
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Why didn’t Hester leave?
• Hester COULD HAVE LEFT but she decides to stay in Boston for three
reasons:
– She feels drawn to the place that marked a great change or growth in
her life. This is where she sinned, so this is where she feels connected.
– The gentleman who fathered her baby still resides in Boston.
– She feels she must repent her sins by staying and doing what she can
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for forgiveness.
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42. What talent did Hester use to
support herself and Pearl ?
She used her talent for sewing, making clothes
for public ceremonies as well as funerals.
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43. What garment is Hester not
allowed to sew? Why?
She was never asked to make “the white veil
which was cover the pure blushes of a bride”
(86).
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44. Why type of dress did Hester
wear? Pearl ?
• She wore clothes of coarse fabrics in sad
colors.
• She dressed Pearl in fancy clothes very unlike
what was considered appropriate and modest
to Puritans.
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45. What does Hester do that shows
she has a charitable nature?
• She makes and gives clothes to the poor.
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46. How did the poor, the ladies of Boston,
the clergy, and the children treat Hester?
Poor: hated her even though she made them
clothes.
Ladies of Boston: They either ignored her or
insulted her to her face.
Clergy:
a. They stopped her in the street and started
sermonizing about sin, drawing a crowd.
b. When Hester would go to Church, the
sermons were about her.
Children: would chase her in the streets, yelling
mean things at her that they heard from their
parents.
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47. What special knowledge does
Hester feel the Scarlet Letter gives her?
• Hester feels the ‘A’ gives her knowledge of
when other people have hidden sins.
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48. Why was a familiar look upon her
‘A’ more painful than someone seeing
it for the first time?
It was more painful because it reinforced that the
punishment would never end.
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Chapter 6 – “Pearl”
• Pearl’s personality is nothing like that of the
appearance of a pearl from an oyster – she is
not calm or unimpassioned.
• Hester named her baby Pearl, “as being of
great price,--purchased with all she had…”
(92).
Pearls are actually
a natural mistake,
yet are things of
great beauty. How
is this like Pearl?
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• Pearl was called a sprite, an
imp, an elf—all alluding to
her expected terror-like
behavior being the product
of sin
• Hester admitted that the
only times she felt as peace
was when Pearl was asleep
• Hester knows that Pearl was
given to her to remind her
of her sin; Pearl saw to it
that her mother “paid the
price”
• Pearl is the MORAL OF THE
STORY; She is the truth and
lives it, therefore she is
happy.
• The truth must be revealed
for happiness to be realized.
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Direct Characterization of Pearl – Ch. 6
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“little creature”
“lovely and immortal flower”
Symbol of Hester’s sin
Physically perfect
“Native grace…faultless beauty”
Hester dressed Pearl like the ‘A’ itself
“Wild-flower prettiness of a peasant-baby, and the pomp…of an infant princess.”
“The child could not be made amenable to rules.”
“In giving her existence, a great law had been broken; and the result was a being whose
elements were perhaps beautiful and brilliant, but all in disorder; or with an order peculiar
to themselves.”
“Wild, desperate, defiant mood…flightiness of temper”
Airy sprite
“wild, bright, deeply-black eyes”
Elfish look in her eyes
Sprite-like intelligence
Possessed by an evil spirit
Demon offspring
“wild and flighty little elf” (Ch. 8)
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Indirect Characterization
• “flit[s] away with a mocking smile”
• Pearl used objects of nature as her toys:
– Used her imagination and funny voices to play.
– The trees were the Puritan elders
– The weeds were Puritan children and she would
uproot them.
• She threw rocks at children who teased her.
• Threw flowers at her mother’s ‘A’
• Stood and stared at Hester and then started
laughing.
• Begs her mother to tell her where she (Pearl)
came from.
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Nature Symbolism
In the previous examples of Indirect
and Direct characterization, highlight
the examples that symbolize Pearl’s
connection with nature.
Her connection with nature is symbolic of
two things:
1. Pearl was created in nature – a place
where Hester and the father were free
to be with each other.
2. This represents one characteristic of the
literary period Romanticism – that
nature is a place of refuge and freedom.
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52. Where do the townspeople believe
she came from?
THE DEVIL
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Chapters 7 & 8
“The Governor’s Hall”
“The Elf Child and the Minister”
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53. What are the TWO reasons Hester
is going to the governor’s mansion?
a. She was hired to make gloves for the governor
and is delivering them.
b. She heard rumor that the magistrates want to
take Pearl from her.
IRONY & HYPOCRISY: She is good enough to make
their important clothing, yet they try to take her
child.
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The Puritans
54. Why do the Puritans want to take Pearl out of Hester’s custody?
They felt Pearl was of “demon origin” and was a “stumblingblock” in Hester’s redemption.
55. Quotation - Fill in the blank ________:
“At that epoch of pristine simplicity, however, matters of even
slighter public interest … were mixed up with the deliberations
of legislators and acts of state … a dispute concerning the right
of property in a __PIG___ not only caused a fierce and bitter
contest in the legislative body of the colony, but resulted in an
important modification of the framework itself of the
legislature” (104).
56. How do the Puritan children treat Pearl? How does Pearl
react?
They call her the likeness of the scarlet letter and throw mud at
her. Pearl would scream and shout back at them, scaring them
into submission.
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57. Describe the Governor’s mansion. How is
this symbolic of Puritan hypocrisy?
• It is a large wooden
house.
• Sunny windows
• Stained glass
• Compared to “Aladdin’s
palace”
• Detailed and ornate
decorations.
• Suits of Armor
THIS SHOWS THE
HYPOCRISY OF THE
PURITAN
GOVERNMENT, AS
PURITAN BELIEFS WERE
TO LIVE A SIMPLE
AND PLAIN LIFE
WITHOUT
“HEATHENISH
ADORNMENTS”
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58. Who is visiting with the governor?
• Reverend John Wilson
• Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale
• ‘Doctor’ Roger Chillingworth
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The Suit of Armor
59. What happens when Hester
stands in front of the suit of
armor? Pearl points out that
she sees Hester in the
reflection of the breastplate.
When Hester turns to look, the
shape of the armor so greatly
exaggerates the scarlet letter.
60. What does the suit of armor
symbolize? Suits of armor
were worn by Knights who
were known for their manners
and gentility. It symbolized
this traditional notion of what
is proper and noble. Hester’s
sin is highlighted in
comparison to these oldfashioned notions, hence the
symbolism of the ‘A’ enlarging
and distorting in the
breastplate.
26
Draw a picture of what Pearl cries for
at the end of the chapter.
27
Create a symbol to represent each of
the following men:
Governor Bellingham
Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale
Rev. John Wilson
Roger Chillingworth
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63. Pearl is again associated with nature, as a “little
bird of scarlet plumage.” Who calls her this? Why
does he call her this?
John Wilson comments on Pearl’s clothing, as Hester dresses her in
vibrant red dresses. Here is another symbolic connection to nature.
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64. Why does Bellingham want to take Pearl from
Hester? What is Hester’s argument for keeping her? He
thinks that Hester will not be able to teach her how to be
a good, devout Puritan. Hester responds that Pearl
teaches and tortures her everyday, so she will be able to
teach her well.
65. How does Bellingham test Pearl’s knowledge of
religion? He asks Pearl who made her.
66. What is Pearl’s response to this question? Pearl knew
“well enough” who made her, but tells Bellingham
that she was plucked from the rosebush by the prisondoor.
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67. How has Chillingworth changed
in physical appearance?
Chillingworth is characterized as even more deformed,
more evil
“Old Roger Chillingworth, with a smile on his face,
whispered something in the young clergyman's ear.
Hester Prynne looked at the man of skill, and even
then, with her fate hanging in the balance, was startled
to perceive what a change had come over his
features,—how much uglier they were,—how his dark
complexion seemed to have grown duskier, and his
figure more misshapen,—since the days when she had
familiarly known him. She met his eyes for an instant,
but was immediately constrained to give all her
attention to the scene now going forward” (115).
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68. Fill in the blanks:
happiness
“‘She is my __________!—she
is my
torture
___________,
none the less! Pearl keeps me
here in life! Pearl punishes me too! See ye not,
the scarlet letter only capable of
she is _____________,
being loved, and so endowed with a millionfold the power of retribution for my sin? Ye
116
shall not take her! I will die first!’” (_____).
69. Who does Hester then turn to for help?
Hester turns to Dimmesdale.
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70. How is Arthur Dimmesdale physically
described?
Dimmesdale appears physically sick; he
constantly has his hand over his heart.
71. Dimmesdale supports Hester in her
wanting to keep her child. Chillingworth
thinks Dimmesdale “speaks with a strange
earnestness” when he defends Hester. What
does Chillingworth suspect?
He suspects that Dimmesdale is Pearl’s father.
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72. What does Pearl do that is
completely out of character for her?
• Pearl went to Dimmesdale after he defended
Hester and her.
• She took both of his hands in hers and put her
cheek against his hands.
• Dimmesdale bent down and kissed her
forehead.
• Dimmesdale loves her.
• In a way, he was exposing the truth, the moral
of the story.
• It made Pearl happy.
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73. John Wilson then
characterizes Pearl as a
___________________.
74. Who does
Chillingworth want to
psychology study? Who
calls this a “profane
philosophy”?
He wants to study Pearl,
but Rev. John Wilson
calls psychology a
vulgar science. This
shows the religious
rejection of this type of
medicine.
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75. Mistress Hibbins tempts Hester to join her and the other
witches in the woods. Why does Hester decline? What does the
narrator say this proves?
• Hester declines, saying
she must go home to
take care of Pearl. If
the magistrates had
taken Pearl, then she
would have gladly
joined her.
• The narrator says how
this proves that
Dimmesdale was right
in saying that Pearl
saves Hester’s soul and
therefore she should be
allowed to keep her.
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