Mr. Cerecerez
English III
1
The Scarlet Letter Socratic Seminar Questions
Chapter 9:
1) Why does Chillingworth decide to desert his position as Hester’s husband?
2) What is Chillingworth’s position in the town?
3) Why is Dimmesdale’s health beginning to fail?
4) Describe the irony of Chillingworth and Dimmesdale’s friendship.
5) Why does Dimmesdale keep mentioning his “sins”? How is he feeling about them?
6) Why does Chillingworth want to know all about Dimmesdale?
7) Is Dimmesdale required to be celibate?
Chapter 10:
1) Why can’t Chillingworth recognize his enemy?
2) “I found them growing on a grave, which bore no tombstone, nor other memorial of the
dead man, save these ugly weeds that have taken upon themselves to keep him in
remembrance. They grew out of his heart, and typify, it may be, some hideous secret that
was buried with him, and which he had done better to confess during his lifetime.”
What/who does this quote symbolize? Explain.
3) Why is it ironic that Hester and Pearl enter the scene in the middle of Dimmesdale and
Chillingworth’s conversation?
4) Why didn’t Hester pluck the burrs off of her scarlet letter?
5) Pearl throws a burr at Dimmesdale. How is this symbolic?
6) Is Hester more or less miserable than Dimmesdale? Explain.
7) How have Dimmesdale’s lies compounded?
8) Why won’t Dimmesdale tell Chillingworth of his soul’s sickness?
9) What does Dimmesdale look like while he is sleeping?
Chapter 11:
1) What about Chillingworth’s appearance has made Dimmesdale weary about his character?
2) Why does Chillingworth want to hurt Dimmesdale? How do you know?
3) What isn’t Dimmesdale able to reach his full potential as a reverend?
4) Why does Dimmesdale loathe himself?
5) Cite the quote where we first find out for sure that Dimmesdale is Pearl’s father.
6) Where might Dimmesdale be going at the end of the chapter?
Chapter 12:
1) Why might Dimmesdale go to the scaffold?
2) Why is his appearance there a mockery?
3) Who hears Dimmesdale’s cry from the scaffold?
4) Who shows up at the scaffold? Where had she been?
5) What does Pearl ask Dimmesdale? When he refuses, she laughs. Why?
6) Discuss the importance of the contrast between lightness and darkness in this scene.
7) Explain the double meaning of the following quote:
Mr. Cerecerez
English III
2
“But did you reverence hear of the portent that was seen last night? A great red letter
in the sky—the letter A—which we interpret to stand for Angel. For, as our good Governor
Winthrop was made an angel this past night, it was doubtless held fit that there should be
some notice thereof!”
“No,” Answered the minister. “ I had not heard of it.”
Chapter 13:
1) How was Dimmesdale “reduced”?
2) Why does the community now “love” Hester?
3) What do many people say the A now means?
4) What does Hester plan to tell Chillingworth? Why?
Chapter 14:
1) To what does Hester compare Chillingworth? Why has he made this transformation?
2) Why didn’t Chillingworth rat out Dimmesdale?
3) What secret must Hester reveal?
Chapter 15:
1) Why might there be an ominous shadow following Chillingworth?
2) What memories disgust Hester the most?
3) How has he “done her worse wrong than she did him?”
4) Hester debates telling Pearl about her sin. Why does she decide against it?
5) Why does Pearl keep probing? Do you think she already knows? Explain.
Chapter 16:
1) Why won’t Hester approach Dimmesdale anywhere but in broad daylight?
2) Why does Pearl believe the sunshine hides from Hester? What is Hester’s response?
3) Who is the “Black Man”?
4) Why does Hester take Pearl into the forest to tell her the secret?
5) Who shows up in the forest? What is so symbolic about this?
6) Where does Dimmesdale’s scarlet letter dwell?
Chapter 17:
1) Why are Hester and Dimmesdale referred to by the author has ghosts?
2) Why have neither Hester nor Dimmesdale found peace?
3) Hester reveals the truth about Chillingworth to Dimmesdale. How does he react when she
asks for forgiveness?
4) What does Hester think Dimmesdale’s plan should be? How does Chillingworth reply?
Chapter 18:
1) What were Hester’s teachers? What had she learned from them?
2) “This had been a sin of passion, not of principle, or even purpose.” Does this make their
Mr. Cerecerez
English III
3
sin more excusable or not? Explain.
3) Why does Dimmesdale exclaim, “Oh Hester, thou art my better angel?”
4) “She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom!” Explain this quote.
5) Hester calls to Pearl. Describe what she is doing during this scene using sensory details.
Chapter 19:
1) “She had been offered to the world, these seven years past, as the living hieroglyphic, in
which she was revealed the secret they so darkly sought to hide…” Explain this quote.
2) “It was strange, the way in which Pearl stood, looking so steadfastly at them through the
dim medium of the forest-gloom; herself, meanwhile, all glorified with a ray of sunshine that
was attracted thitherward as by a certain sympathy.” What does this quote reveal about
Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl?
3) Why does Pearl remain on the other side of the brook? (Respond with a quote.)
4) Pearl says, “Come thou and take it up!” To what is she referring and why does she make
her mother due this rather than picking it up herself?
5) Why can’t Hester get rid of the “burden” on her chest?
6) Pearl asks, “Will he go back with us, hand in hand, we three together into the town?”
Once again, the answer is no. What is Pearl’s deeper motive here?
7) Dimmesdale kisses Pearl. What does she do as a response and why?
Chapter 20:
1) We learn where Hester and Dimmesdale’s moment of passion was. How do we know?
2) How is Dimmesdale going to terminate his professional career? Where is he going to go
after?
3) “No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the
multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true.” Explain how this
relates to Dimmesdale.
4) Why has Dimmesdale changed so drastically?
5) Dimmesdale is tempted in this chapter. By whom and what?
6) How does Mistress Hibbins know he has been to the forest?
7) Explain how the forest is symbolic.
8) How does Chillingworth now know that the minister is his enemy?
Chapter 21:
1) As Hester and Pearl go to the marketplace, Hester recalls that it is the 7-year anniversary
of her time on the scaffold. What is symbolic about the number 7 (think in terms of the
Bible)?
2) What is Hester anticipating?
3) Pearl analyzes Dimmesdale quite accurately. What does she say?
4) What do the Puritans look like? The Indians? Why is there this stark contrast?
5) Who is the mariner and what does he say to Hester? Where does he know her from?
Mr. Cerecerez
English III
4
Chapter 22:
1) There is a procession. Who leads it? Why do you think this is?
2) Dimmesdale is walking with certain lightness. Why?
3) Hester feels dreary when she sees Dimmesdale. What does this foreshadow?
4) Mistress Hibbins shows up again. Summarize what she says to Hester and Hester’s
reaction.
5) Mistress Hibbins tells Pearl that she is “the art of the lineage of the Prince of the Air.” To
whom is she referring? Does Pearl understand, do you think?
6) Hester wants to leave the market-place. Why doesn’t she?
7) What does the mariner want Pearl to tell her mother?
8) Explain this quote: “The sainted minister in the church! The woman of the scarlet letter in
the market-place! What imagination would have been irreverent enough to surmise that the
same scorching stigma was on them both?”
Chapter 23:
1) How does the crowd react to Dimmesdale’s sermon?
2) How has Dimmesdale changed? (Cite past and present examples).
3) Dimmesdale begins stumbling out into the crowd. Why does the author have him stumble,
instead of stride, walk confidently, or even crawl?
4) As he calls for Hester and Pearl to join him on the scaffold, Chillingworth says, “Wave
back that woman! Cast off this child! All shall be well! Do not blacken your fame and perish
in dishonor!” Why doesn’t Chillingworth want Dimmesdale to reveal his secret?
5) Why, all of a sudden, is Dimmesdale dying, do you think?
6) Describe this scaffold scene. How is Hester acting? Pearl? What is the crowd doing and
what do they see? Obviously, include Dimmesdale’s words and actions.
7) Why does Pearl’s kiss “break a spell”?
8) What happens to Dimmesdale at the end of the chapter? Why is this a sick twist of fate,
especially for Hester?
Chapter 24:
1) What do you think was on Dimmesdale’s chest? Why?
2) What happened to Chillingworth? Why do you think this happened?
3) Why does Hester return to the cottage? What does she resemble?
4) How do we know what happened to Pearl?
5) Explain the saying on Hester’s gravestone.