The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Study Questions
Chapter One
1. What are the first two things the Puritans establish?
2. What item in nature stands in sharp contrast to its surroundings?
Chapter Two
1. Where has Hester been staying?
2. What does she carry when she emerges?
3. What is Hester’s sin?
4. Describe how Hester is dressed (not the A).
5. What are Hester’s three punishments?
6. Describe Hester’s A.
7. As Hester stands on the scaffold, what does she think about?
8. Where is Hester’s husband?
9. What physical deformity does Hester’s husband have?
Chapter Three
1. How is the stranger in the crowd related to Hester?
2. As he states to himself, what are the stranger’s intentions?
3. What does John Wilson ask Hester?
4. Who else stands with Wilson?
5. Where are they standing in relation to Hester?
6. Describe Reverend Dimmesdale.
7. What does Dimmesdale ask Hester?
8. What is Hester’s reply?
Chapter Four
1. What is the doctor’s name?
2. Why is Hester afraid to give the medicine to the baby?
3. Whom does Chillingworth blame for Hester’s sin?
4. Why is Chillingworth going to stay in the town?
5. What information does Hester agree to keep secret?
Chapter Five
1. Postulate on why Hester does not leave town.
2. Where does Hester live?
3. How does she support herself?
4. How do people react to Hester?
Chapter Six
1. Why does Hester name her daughter Pearl?
2. Describe Pearl’s appearance and character.
3. What object fascinates Pearl?
Chapter Seven
1. Give the two reasons why Hester visits Governor Bellingham.
2. How is Pearl’s dress indicative of Hester’s life?
3. What object does Pearl desire?
Chapter Eight
1. What four people comprise the group approaching Hester and Pearl?
2. What does Pearl answer when Wilson asks her about who made her?
3. What is Hester’s reply when they talk about taking Pearl from Hester?
4. What is Dimmesdale’s opinion about the matter?
Chapter Nine
1. What façade does Chillingworth present to society?
2. What is Chillingworth’s motive?
Chapter Ten
1. What is Dimmesdale’s explanation about a person’s keeping a sin hidden?
2. What is Pearl doing when she interrupts their discussion?
3. What question of Chillingworth’s enrages Dimmesdale?
5. What causes Chillingworth such joy at the end of the chapter?
Chapter Eleven
1. Besides “public confession” in the pulpit, how else does Dimmesdale punish himself?
Chapter Twelve
1. Where does Dimmesdale go?
2. What time of day is it?
3. Which person walks right by?
4. What two people join Dimmesdale where he is standing?
5. What does Pearl ask Dimmesdale?
6. What natural event occurs?
7.What shape does the natural event resemble?
8. What color is the natural event?
9. Who else is present near the scaffold?
10. Why is everyone out and about at this time?
11. Who convinces Dimmesdale to go home?
12. What item does Dimmesdale leave behind?
Chapter Thirteen
1. With whom does Hester decide to side?
2. How does society now view Hester?
4. About what topic does Hester decide to talk to Chillingworth?
Chapter Fourteen
1. Describe how Chillingworth has changed.
2. Why did Chillingworth not avenge himself on Hester?
3. What is Chillingworth’s answer to pleas to pardon?
Chapter Fifteen
1. What are Hester’s feelings about Chillingworth?
2. How does Pearl mock Hester?
3. What does Hester answer when Pearl asks about the scarlet letter and the minister?
Chapter Sixteen
1. How does Pearl act in the forest?
2. What gesture of Dimmesdale’s is becoming as prominent as Hester’s scarlet letter?
Chapter Seventeen
1. How does Dimmesdale react when Hester tells him about Chillingworth?
2. Who is a worse sinner than either Dimmesdale or Hester? Why?
3. Who is the pastor and who is the parishoner?
Chapter Eighteen
1. What two things does Hester do to indicate the freedom they will have?
2. How does nature “sympathize” when Hester does this?
3. What links are there between Pearl and the forest?
Chapter Nineteen
1. Why is Dimmesdale nervous about meeting Pearl?
2. Why does Pearl refuse to cross the brook?
3. How does Pearl react to Dimmesdale?
Chapter Twenty
1. What plans do Hester and Dimmesdale make?
2. In what frame of mind does Dimmesdale return to the settlement?
3. How does Dimmesdale act towards Chillingworth?
4. What does Dimmesdale do all night?
Chapter Twenty-one
1. Why have all the people gathered in town?
2. What is Pearl’s comment about Dimmesdale?
3. What news does the ship’s master share with Hester?
Chapter Twenty-two
1. What does Hester wish would happen as Dimmesdale passes by?
2. What is Mistress Hibbons’s observation?
3. Where does Hester stand as Dimmesdale delivers his sermon?
4. What message from the ship’s captain does Pearl deliver?
Chapter Twenty-three
1. What does everyone think of Dimmesdale’s sermon?
2. DescribeDimmesdale’s physical condition.
3. Where does Dimmesdale go?
4. Whom does he invite to join him?
5. Why does Chillingworth try to stop Dimmesdale?
6. What does Dimmesdale show to the crowd?
7. How does Pearl react to Dimmesdale’s summons?
Chapter Twenty-four
1. Describe the various reactions to Dimmesdale’s revelation.
2. What happens to Chillingworth?
3. What happens to his estate?
4. Where do Pearl and Hester go?
5. What eventually happens to Pearl?
6. Why does Hester return?
7. What habit does she resume?
8. How do the people come to regard Hester?
9. Describe the grave.