The Scarlet Letter
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
STUDY GUIDE
FOCUS AREAS:
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Anti-Transcendental elements
Anti-Transcendental setting
Whether or not Hester can be considered an early feminist
The role of penance vs. penitence
How the characters play psychological warfare
How external physical appearance mirrors personality traits and/or character
Hypocrisy among the Puritans
The psychological and physical impact of a guilty conscience
Important quotations with page numbers
Chapter I: “The Prison Door”
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Why is it significant that the novel opens with a door?
What is ironic about the establishment of a Utopia?
What metaphor is used to describe the prison?
What is significant about the rose bush (What might the rose bush represent?)?
Who was Ann Hutchinson (use the Internet)?
Chapter II: “The Market Place”
1. How does Hawthorne portray the Puritans?
2. Note the setting.
3. Based on the expressions of the people waiting outside the jail, what would one
expect they were waiting for?
4. What is your opinion of the conversation among the women standing outside the
jail?
5. How is Hester described? What does Hawthorne reveal about her personality?
What does she hold? What does she initially try to hide?
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6. What has Hester done to the token on her breast? Why might she have done this?
7. To whom might a Papist (Catholic) compare Hester?
8. What does Hester think about as she stands upon the scaffold? What does she
have a flashback of? Who do you think the scholar (very important) she remembers
is?
9. How is Hester being punished? Can you guess for what crime?
Chapter III: “The Recognition”
1. Who does Hester notice in the crowd? Describe him (Quotation). Who does he
resemble? What is his reaction to seeing Hester? How does Hester respond to
seeing him?
2. What is Hester’s crime? What does Hester refuse to reveal?
3. What is Hester’s punishment? Do you think it is too strict or too lenient? Why?
4. What bothers the stranger?
5. How is Dimmesdale described?
6. How does Dimmesdale try to reason with Hester? What argument does he use?
7. What is your impression of Hester’s refusal to speak? Of Dimmesdale’s reaction to
it?
8. How does Hester cope with her ordeal?
Chapter IV: “The Interview”
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Why is the physician called to the prison?
Who is the physician? What is his name? How does Hester react to him?
Why is Hester hesitant to let the physician treat the baby?
Why does Hester think the physician is going to kill her?
What relationship does the physician share with Hester? How does he describe
himself?
6. What information does Chillingworth request?
7. What observation can you make about Chillingworth’s name?
8. What is your response to the interview between Hester and Chillingworth? How
would you feel if you were Roger? Why?
Chapter V: “Hester at Her Needle”
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How does the sunshine affect Hester? Why?
What kind of energy does Hester’s character have?
What vision does Hester have of her future?
Why does Hester choose not to flee Boston?
What skill does Hester have?
What double standard do high ranking Puritans have? How is Hawthorne critical of
this?
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7. How does Hester dress her child? What might this show?
8. How does Hester feel about her needlework?
9. How is Hester treated by the community?
10. When does Hester feel the burden of her brand lifted?
11. What new sense does Hester feel she has?
12. Why has Hester lost her faith?
Chapter VI: “Pearl”
1. Describe Pearl.
2. Why is Pearl’s name important?
3. Why does Hester fear her daughter?
4. Describe Pearl’s personality.
5. How is Hawthorne critical of the Puritan children? What games do they play?
6. How does Pearl cope with her lack of human playmates?
7. What was the first object Pearl became aware of?
8. What conclusion had the townspeople come to regarding the
identity of Pearl’s father?
Chapter VII: “The Governor’s Hall”
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Why does Hester go to see the governor? What rumors has she heard?
How is Pearl dressed? How does her clothing mirror her nature?
Comment on the description of Governor Bellingham’s mansion.
How is the scarlet letter reflected in the breastplate of armor?
Note: leech=physician
Chapter VIII: “The Elf-Child and the Minister”
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Note Bellingham’s hypocrisy.
What two individuals have become friends? Why might this be significant?
Who is in poor health? Why?
What observations do the men make about Pearl? What do they call her?
How does Pearl explain her origin?
What changes does Hester notice in Chillingworth (Quotation)? Why are these
changes significant?
7. Note Hester’s plea to Dimmesdale.
8. Note Dimmesdale’s description.
9. How does Pearl react to Dimmesdale’s presence?
10. Who is Mistress Hibbins? What eventually happens to her?
Chapter IX: “The Leech”
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What would you have done in Chillingworth’s place? Why?
Comment on the medical care of the age.
Why do people think Dimmesdale is not long for this world?
What has become Dimmesdale’s “constant habit”? Why is this significant?
Why do you think Chillingworth has taken such an interest in Dimmesdale? What
does he closely examine?
Why do you think Dimmesdale initially refuses Chillingworth’s treatment?
Why does Dimmesdale enjoy Chillingworth’s company? What does it expose him
to?
What was Chillingworth hoping to hear?
How do the people feel about Chillingworth? Why?
Chapter X: “The Leech and His Patient”
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How has Chillingworth changed?
What does Chillingworth observe about Dimmesdale’s nature?
What suspicion does Dimmesdale have regarding Chillingworth?
How does Chillingworth try to manipulate Dimmesdale into confessing?
How does Dimmesdale respond? What do his responses reveal?
Who does Pearl refer to as “The Black Man”? Why is this significant?
What does Chillingworth imply about Dimmesdale’s ailments?
What do you think Chillingworth saw at the end of the chapter? Why?
Chapter XI: “The Interior of a Heart”
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How does the relationship between Dimmesdale and Chillingworth change?
What revenge does Chillingworth plot?
What qualities make Dimmesdale such an accomplished and popular minister?
Why won’t Dimmesdale confess? What reasons does he give? Is he a weak or
strong character? Why do you think so?
5. How does Dimmesdale punish himself?
6. What types of visions does he have during his vigils? Why are these significant?
Chapter XII: “The Minister’s Vigil”
1. How many years have passed since Hester first stood upon the scaffold?
2. What is Dimmesdale tortured by?
3. What does Dimmesdale do while standing upon the scaffold? What does he both
fear and hope for?
4. What scene does Dimmesdale imagine?
5. Why was Hester out so late at night?
6. What does Pearl request? Why is it significant?
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7. What seems to appear in the sky?
8. Who sees the three standing on the scaffold?
9. How does Pearl criticize the minister?
Chapter XIII: “Another View of Hester”
1. Why is Hester shocked? What does she feel responsibility for? Does Hester, in
your opinion, owe Dimmesdale anything? Why or why not?
2. How has the meaning of the scarlet A changed? Why?
3. How have the attitudes of the people changed toward Hester? Why?
4. How has Hester changed over the years? What types of things does she think
about?
5. Why had the scarlet letter not “done its office”?
Chapter XIV: “Hester and the Physician”
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What had been debated in the council?
What change has come over Chillingworth? Why?
What is Hester’s conflict?
What would have happened to Dimmesdale had Chillingworth made an accusation
against him?
How has Dimmesdale suffered?
What does Hester resolve to do?
How does Hester try to reason with Chillingworth?
What does Hester feel responsible for?
What is the “black blossom”?
Chapter XV: “Hester and Pearl”
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How does Hester feel about Chillingworth?
What wrong does Hester feel Chillingworth had done?
What warning does Hawthorne give to men?
What does Pearl do with the eel-grass?
What remarkable insight does Pearl have?
Describe Pearl’s character and personality- use quotes from the text.
Chapter XVI: “A Forest Walk”
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Take note of the setting. Describe it.
Why does the sunshine flee from Hester?
What stories has Pearl heard about the Black Man?
How are Pearl and the brook the same?
Find an example of foreshadowing.
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6. Whom does Hester see in the forest?
Chapter XVII: “The Pastor and His Parishioner”
1. Why is the setting for the meeting between Hester and Dimmesdale important?
2. What does Dimmesdale say about penance and penitence?
3. In your opinion, who has suffered most: Chillingworth, Hester, or Dimmesdale?
Why? Think carefully about this question- it will probably be an in class writing
response prompt.
4. What does Hester fully realize?
5. How does Hester feel about Dimmesdale?
6. What is your reaction to Dimmesdale’s response to Hester’s revelation? Why?
7. How does Dimmesdale demonstrate his weakness in this chapter?
8. What does Hester propose? How does Dimmesdale react?
Chapter VXIII: “A Flood of Sunshine”
1. What is significant about the title of this chapter?
2. Comment on the state of Hester’s mind. What has she been thinking about? What
has made her strong?
3. What conflict does Dimmesdale experience?
4. What does Hester do to the scarlet letter?
5. What is not subjugated by human law?
6. Why is Pearl so at home in the forest?
Chapter XIX: “The Child at the Brookside”
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What is Pearl the embodiment of?
Why is Pearl reluctant to approach her mother?
Note an example of foreshadowing.
What happens to Hester as she puts on the scarlet letter?
What significant question does Pearl ask?
What does Pearl do when Dimmesdale kisses her? Why?
Chapter XX: “The Minister in a Maze”
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What plan did Hester and Dimmesdale come up with?
What kind of “maze” is Dimmesdale in?
What temptations does Dimmesdale face? Why? How does he handle them?
What does Mistress Hibbins think Dimmesdale has been doing?
What is odd about the encounter between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale?
How is Dimmesdale careless in concealing his plan from Chillingworth?
What sermon is Dimmesdale supposed to deliver?
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Chapter XXI: “The New England Holiday”
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Describe Hester’s expression. What does it conceal?
What significant insights does Pearl have about Dimmesdale?
What strangers attend the Election Day festivities?
To whom does Chillingworth speak?
Why can Hester speak to the commander with relative privacy?
What does the commander reveal? What is your response to this?
What does Chillingworth do at the chapter’s end?
Chapter XXII: “The Procession”
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What observations were made about Dimmesdale?
How does Hester feel as she gazes at Dimmesdale? What doubts does she have?
What observation does Pearl make?
What observation does Mistress Hibbins make? What does it unnerve Hester? Is
there any foreshadowing in her words?
5. Why was Dimmesdale’s sermon so powerful?
6. What news does Pearl bring Hester from the seaman?
7. What is ironic about the Indian’s perception of the significance of the scarlet letter?
Chapter XXIII: “The Revelation of the Scarlet Letter”
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Why do the people think of Dimmesdale as an angel?
How does Dimmesdale appear after the sermon?
What does Dimmesdale do? Why?
How does Chillingworth react? Why?
Is this better than what the two dreamed of in the forest? Why or why not?
What does Dimmesdale reveal?
What happens to Chillingworth’s face? Why?
Will Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the afterlife?
Conclusion XXIV: “Conclusion”
1. What different accounts were there of what transpired upon the scaffold? Which do
you believe? Why?
2. What happened to Chillingworth? Why? What was his last good deed?
3. What happened to Pearl?
4. Why do you think Hester returned?
5. Why does Hester decide she is not a destined prophetess?
6. Where was Hester buried?
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