Kostka Collegio
Essay Prompts for The Scarlet Letter1
We invite you to respond to The Scarlet Letter in a five paragraph literary analysis essay.
You may not use any outside sources of any kind whatsoever (other than the Seabrook
essay if you choose Prompt B). It’s you, the novel, and your class discussion notes. Use
formal style, also known as “academic voice,” i.e. no first or second person, no
contractions. Use MLA page number citations for the novel from whichever edition you
have; do not submit a works cited page.
DUE DO DEW DATES
 English paper topic selection and evidence due (summaries, paraphrases, and
quotations from the evidence you intend to use): Friday, 10/5 (same day as Scarlet
Letter test – the evidence gathering will be your review process)
 Thesis statement and outline due: Wednesday, 10/10
 As good as you can make it draft due for peer editing: Friday, 10/12
 Final draft due (submitted to turnitin.com): Tuesday, 10/16
Choose one of the four following topics:
A. SIN. The pervasive nature of original sin was an important aspect of the Puritans’
view of human nature. Hawthorne breaks from the Puritans in some ways, but seems to
be their true descendant regarding the inevitability and significance of sin in human
experience. Reflect upon the different types of sins committed throughout the course of
the novel and Hawthorne’s judgment of them. Also consider how different characters
react to their own and to others’ sinfulness and the consequences of these varied
responses. According to Hawthorne, how should humans cope with their inherently
flawed nature?
This paper should focus on sin and its effects in the novel. To illustrate Hawthorne’s
message, you may want to focus on the experiences of particular characters, or you may
want to focus on particular symbols. Possible structures to consider:
ESSAY FOCUSING ON SYMBOLS IN THE NOVEL:
Body Paragraph #1: Discuss / evaluate Symbol A’s message about sin
Body Paragraph #2: Discuss / evaluate / compare Symbol B’s message about sin
Body Paragraph #3: Discuss / evaluate / compare Symbol C’s experience with sin
1
Many thanks to Ms. McCulloch and Mr. Mitchell for their work writing three of the prompts.
ESSAY FOCUSING ON ONE CHARACTER:
Body Paragraph #1: How Character A sins
Body Paragraph #2: How Character A copes with his or her sin
Body Paragraph #3: The ramifications of Character A’s method of coping with his or her
sin
ESSAY FOCUSING ON TWO CHARACTERS:
Body Paragraph #1: Discuss / evaluate Character A’s sin, response, and consequences
Body Paragraph #2: Discuss / evaluate Character B’s sin, response, and consequences
Body Paragraph #3: Compare, contrast, and comment on the characters’ sins in relation
to the meaning of the novel as a whole.
****************************
B. GENDER. In “Hester Prynne: Sinner, Victim, Object, Winner,” Andrea Seabrook
states, “Hester Prynne can be seen as Hawthorne's literary contemplation of what happens
when women break cultural bounds and gain personal power. . . In The Scarlet Letter,
Hester Prynne may seem a victim and an object, but she also shows great personal
strength. She survives.” (You may read the entire Seabrook essay if you wish, but your
paper should reflect your own ideas, examples, and analysis.
http://www.npr.org/2008/03/02/87805369/hester-prynne-sinner-victim-object-winner.)
Consider whether you believe that Hester is a “sinner,” a “victim,” an “object,” but
ultimately a “winner.” What victory does she gain in her struggle against her
society’s gender norms?
This paper should focus on Hester and the gender roles in the novel. A possible structure
to consider:
Body Paragraph #1: How Hester breaks cultural bounds and gains / does not gain
personal power
Body Paragraph #2: How her society responds to her breaking cultural gender norms
Body Paragraph #3: How Hester achieves victory (or not), either temporarily or
permanently.
****************************
C. SPHERES. The Scarlet Letter contains several motifs, including the idea of spheres.
The word appear many times in the novel. (You can find it using the Control-F
command in the on-line text of the novel.
http://www.seaprep.org/document.doc?id=5454.) The concepts of boundaries, separate
domains, etc., appear frequently, whether or not the word sphere is used. Some spheres
protect; other spheres entrap. Perhaps some do both. How does sphere imagery
enhance one or more other elements of the novel, including conflict, theme, and
characterization?
You may organize your body paragraphs around characters, or you may find ways to
compare and contrast the various spheres and connect this analysis to the meaning of the
novel as a whole.
****************************
D. ROMANTICISM. 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 tradition of
Romanticism?
This paper should focus on the Romantic ideas in the novel. The strongest essays will
include discussion of Emerson and Thoreau (yes, this means quotes) and will consider the
role of the forest. A possible structure to consider:
Body Paragraph #1: How Hawthorne celebrates individualism and nonconformity (or
not)
Body Paragraph #2: How Hawthorne stresses emotion over reason (or not)
Body Paragraph #3: How Hawthorne depicts nature as a source of freedom and truth (or
not)