The Scarlet Letter Vocabulary
Chapters 5-8
CHAPTER FIVE
1. VIVIFY: to endure with life or renew life; animate.
Context: Hester becomes the personification of women’s negative
qualities for some townspeople. The narrator says she is there
to “vivify and embody their images of woman's frailty and sinful
passion” (
).
2. INSCRUTABLE: not easily understood or interpreted
Context: After her prison sentence, Hester is not forced to stay
in the settlement. The narrator mentions that the dark,
inscrutable forest [is] open to her” (
).
3. UNCONGENIAL: unfriendly.
Context: The narrator continues to discuss how the colonists view
the forest as inscrutable and uncongenial ( ).
4. PROGENITORS: an ancestor in the direct line; forefather.
Context: The narrator is discussing the Puritans as our “stern
progenitors,” reminding us that we are descendants of them ( ).
5. PLEBEIAN: one of the common people.
Context: Ruffs and ornate gloves were allowed to the magistrates
and other high-level people, but laws prohibited common, plebian
people from wearing fancy clothes (
).
6. COMMISERATION to feel or express sympathy
Context: Hester’s sewing and embroidery becomes fashionable. The
narrator offers a theory; perhaps people commiserate with her
because of her punishment (
).
7. TALISMAN: something producing apparently magical or miraculous
effects.
Context: The scarlet letter seems to carry magical effects for
the wearer and viewers (
).
CHAPTER SIX
8.EFFICACY: effectiveness
Context: The narrator mentions that the “scarlet letter, which
had such potent and disastrous efficacy that no human sympathy
could reach her.” It is an effective way to stop most people
from feeling sorry for her (
).
9. IMBUED: inspired as with feelings, opinions, etc.
Context: Pearl’s personality was inspired or “imbued with a spell
of infinite variety” (
). The narrator is saying she has many
personalities in the body of one child.
10. EPOCH: a point in time
Context: Pearl’s wild character is thought to be connected to
Hester’s wild experiences at the epoch of the sin and punishment
(
)
11. CAPRICE: a sudden, impulsive change; whim.
Context: This word is frequently connected to Pearl. “Caprice …
ruled” Pearl’s character (
).
12. DEARTH: scarcity, lack, or famine.
Context: Because Pearl has no young friends, she has a dearth of
friends (
).
13. GESTICULATION: expression through gestures, movements.
Context: Pearl’s odd movement is described as a “humorsome
gesticulation” (
).
14. LABYRINTH: any intricate or perplexing set of difficulties;
maze.
Context: Hester is unsure how to handle Pearl’s comment about
having no heavenly father. Hester is in a “labyrinth of doubt”
about saying the right comments to Pearl (
).
CHAPTER SEVEN
15. WAN: pale or sickly.
Context: Pearl lacked wan in her cheeks. She was colorful and
vibrant (
).
16. GILDED: to overlay with or as if with a thin covering of
gold.
Context: Governor Bellingham had gilded books in his expensive
mansion (
).
17. EXIGENCES: a state of affairs that makes urgent demands.
Context: Since, “the exigencies of this new country had
transformed Governor Bellingham into a soldier,” he is no longer
just an educated lawyer (
).
CHAPTER EIGHT
18. PIOUS: of or pertaining to religious devotion.
Context: Hester is described as “the daughter of a pious home” to show she
has a religious past (
).
19. EMACIATED: to make very thin, as to lack of nutrition or to
disease.
Context: Dimmesdale is starting to look more emaciated ( ).