Smarr Publishers
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A Student’s Companion to
The Scarlet Letter
by Robert W. Watson
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The Scarlet Letter / 1
Introduction to The Scarlet Letter
N
ATHANIEL HAWTHORNE is the first American
writer of fiction that offers works that are more than
just literary amusement. Works like his Scarlet Letter
touch the deepest emotional feelings, not in a sentimental way,
but in a way that demands change and action. In other words, the
fiction raises the possibility of a reformation in society with a
creation of new values.
Early in his life, Hawthorne tried to separate himself from his
ancestors. While as mayor of Salem, the founder of the family,
William Hathorne (the “w” was added later by Nathaniel
himself), ordered Anne Coleman, a Quaker, to be tied to the back
of a cart and to be whipped publicly with ten stripes in Salem,
with ten stripes in Boston, and with ten stripes in Dedham. Later,
William’s son, John Hathorne, would be a zealous judge during
the Salem Witch trials. Hawthorne’s father, who was a young sea captain, died, which placed
the family into poverty. A recurring theme found in the works of Hawthorne is the “great” past
as it is contrasted with the meager present. Part of Hawthorne’s romanticism is the return to the
past, not to glorify it, but rather to suggest that the past was inadequate, and while the present is
not the “promised land,” it does offer hope for a better future.
While a student at Bowdoin College, Hawthorne joined the “progressive” Athenaean
literary society, which adopted the ideas of Jacksonian democracy. Hawthorne became close
friends with Franklin Pierce (future president of the United States) and Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow, a professor at the college. Oddly, Hawthorne preferred the company of men who
were active, and not of the more literary and intellectual bent. While at college, Hawthorne
learned to chew tobacco and was disciplined for card playing and drinking. Best that can be said
of his academic career was that Hawthorne was “idle.”
By the time The Scarlet Letter (1850) appeared, Hawthorne had enjoyed a good reputation
as a writer. Even Edgar Allan Poe wrote there were no American authors worth reading except
for Washington Irving, William Gilmore Simms, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. The overall thesis
of the novel is that sinners do not need redemption, but that people, and especially women, are
victims of a social order that violates nature. Thus, the novel has a tone that is anti-Biblical. The
value of the novel is its study about hypocrisy and about the effects of vengeance and sin.
While many Christian apologists try to make the case that Hawthorne overstates the conduct of
the Puritans in the novel, historical records reveal that the author does not exaggerate. The
Puritans were intolerant to other religious beliefs, were guilty of committing genocide at least
twice against local Indian tribes, and were convinced that they were God’s chosen people to
straighten out the rest of the world. In addition to this, the Puritans had a natural inclination to
rebel against established order, whether constitutional or religious. After all, the Puritans would
overthrow the established order in England and behead a monarch. It would be too much to
expect the descendents of such people who settled in New England to be content with the
Constitution of the United States and Biblical Christianity. New England’s tendency toward
rebellion against both Constitutional and Biblical authority caused the Southern states to
eventually leave the federal union and to establish their own country.
The characterization in the novel will be hard to surpass. All of the characters are believable
in the sense that they all reflect the strengths and frailties of all of us. Hawthorne uses
retrospection very effectively, and develops the internal conflicts within the characters very
2 / The Scarlet Letter
realistically. If The Scarlet Letter seems to slow down at points, Hawthorne is merely trying to
have the reader reflect deeply about life and the consequences of one’s actions. Of course,
Hawthorne would have the reader believe that mankind’s troubles can be cured with a new
revelation and a new understanding about the nature of things. All of this denies the central
problem with mankind which human reason cannot discover on its own. That problem is sin,
and the only way that the nature of sin can be discovered and conquered is with the Bible.
ROBERT W. WATSON
The Scarlet Letter
Lesson One
1.1 Vocabulary
congenial adj.
inauspicious adj.
evanescent adj.
sagacity n.
1.2 Vocabulary Recognition
1. Finding it so directly on the threshold of our narrative, which is now about to issue from
that __________________ portal, we could hardly do otherwise than pluck one of its
flowers and present it to the reader.
2. [Governor Bellingham] was not ill fitted to be the head and representative of a
community…to the stern and tempered energies of manhood, and the sombre
___________________ of age….
3. [Hester] was lady-like, too, after the manner of the feminine gentility of those days;
characterized by a certain state and dignity, rather than by the delicate, _____________, and
indescribable grace,which is now recognized as its indication.
4. Before this ugly edifice, and between it and the wheel-track of the street, was a grassplot…, which evidently found something ________________ in the soil….
1.3 Reading Assignment: The Scarlet Letter, chapters 1–3
1.4 Recall Questions
1. What was considered the “black flower of civilized society”?
2. What other flower grew next to the prison door, which seemed to give prisoners hope and
encouragement?
3. Instead of the “A” being sewed on Hester’s dresses, one of the women in the crowd
suggests that the letter should be branded where?
4. What token other than the letter revealed the shame of Hester as she walked out into the
sunlight?
The Scarlet Letter / 3
5. While on the scaffold, Hester recalls her past and those who were a part of it. What is the
relationship that Hester has with the “misshapen scholar”?
6. In chapter 3, the reader learns that the setting of The Scarlet Letter is in what New England
town?
7. Why is the allusion to Daniel appropriate when the townsman converses with the stranger?
8. What four words does the stranger repeat that indicates he has taken a vow to find the father
of the baby?
9. Who was given the task of getting Hester to reveal who the father of her child was?
10. What was the topic of the “discourse” that Rev. Wilson delivered to the by-standers?
1.5 Critical Thinking

Hawthorne notes “that the mildest and the severest acts of public discipline were alike made
venerable and awful.” Reread the open paragraph of chapter 2. Which punishments do you
believe to be unjust? Is there Biblical authority for such punishments?

From the perspective of a holy God, all sin is wicked. However, from a human point of
view, which sins are more wicked—overt sins of the flesh like that committed by Hester
Prynne, or the hidden sins of the heart like those of the women in the crowd? Consider
Hosea 6:6.

Discuss the devices that Hawthorne uses to evoke pity for Hester Prynne.

The Scarlet Letter is rich in symbolism. What symbols are revealed in today’s reading?
1.6 Bonus Thoughts

Symbolism: The Scarlet Letter is one of the best literary works that uses extensively the
literary device called the “symbol.” As a term, a symbol can be anything that represents
something else. Thus, technically, a word is a symbol. However, in the context of literature,
a symbol is a word that represents a reference beyond itself. In The Scarlet Letter, you
should note the use of symbols such as the scaffold, the forest, and the scarlet letter.
Characters are also symbols. Determine what each of the characters represent, such as
Mistress Hibbins representing evil.

Utopia: The word utopia was coined by Sir Thomas More from his book, Utopia. Literally,
utopia means “no place.” The word has become to mean any ideal place where all social
and political spheres are perfect. In the United States, there have been several unsuccessful
schemes to create utopian communities, the best-known being Brook Farm, where
Hawthorne spent less than a year and invested over a $1000, and New Harmony. All of
these communities tried some form of socialism, which by its very nature must fail.
Socialism discounts the sin nature of men, thinking all that is needed is the proper education
to raise one’s base selfishness. Hawthorne realized that men are given over to a fallen
nature, and thus rejected the socialism of his day.
4 / The Scarlet Letter

Ann Hutchinson: As an outspoken woman who challenged the Puritan hierarchy, Ann
Hutchinson was condemned and banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636. The
Puritans insisted that there were certain visible signs that indicated whether a believer was
of the elect. On the other hand, Hutchinson taught women in her own home that the true
believer cannot go astray, because God dwelled inside the believer. According to
Hutchinson, laws and ordinances were for those who were not guided by inward holiness;
however, the believer did not need laws to guide his conduct. After being banished from the
colony, Hutchinson moved to present-day Rhode Island, and then settled in New York.
While in New York, Ann Hutchinson and some of her family were killed by Indians.

Capital Punishment and Adultery: In today’s reading, one of the women in the crowd
remarked that the Bible authorized capital punishment for adultery. While such a penalty
seems overly harsh by modern standards (if there are any standards), some Christians argue
that under both the Old and New Testaments, adultery is a capital offense. The purpose for
God’s commandment that prohibits adultery is for protecting the institution of marriage.
Even the Lord Jesus Christ sanctions the use of capital punishment for adultery, when He
stated, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” If the Lord
meant “any sin,” then the expression becomes meaningless, especially when He tells the
woman to go and sin no more. However, anyone that condemned adultery certainly could
do so (John 8:3–11). Yet none of the accusers did, because they were “convicted by their
own conscience.” The reason that the Lord could not condemn the woman is because cases
for capital punishment under the law required two or three witnesses.
However, the body of Christ is not under the Jewish law today. The teachings of Paul
explain how we as Christian, who are saved by grace, are to respond to adultery. Read the
fifth chapter found in 1 Corinthians. Paul says nothing about executing the young man. The
Puritan women were getting their doctrine from the wrong part of the Bible.
The Scarlet Letter / 5
The Scarlet Letter
Lesson Two
2.1 Vocabulary
peremptory adj.
lurid adj.
sumptuary adj.
ascetic adj.
2.2 Vocabulary Recognition
1. Hester sought not to acquire any thing beyond a subsistence, of the plainest and most
_____________ description, for herself, and a simple abundance for her child.
2. Then, [Hester] was supported by an unnatural tension of the nerves, and by all the
combative energy of her character, which enabled her to convert the scene into a kind of
____________ triumph.
3. His first care was given to the child; whose cries, indeed, as she lay writhing on the trundlebed, made it of ________________ necessity to postpone all other business to the task of
soothing her.
4. [Fine articles of clothing] were readily allowed to individuals dignified by rank or
wealth,even while _____________ laws forbade these and similar extravagances to the
plebeian order.
2.3 Reading Assignment: The Scarlet Letter, chapters 4–5
2.4 Recall Questions
1. Why was Hester closely watched in prison?
2. Why was Roger Chillingworth staying at the prison?
3. According to Chillingworth, what “hungry dream” did he feed his best years of his life?
4. What secret does Chillingworth ask Hester to keep?
5. According to the author, the reason for Hester’s staying in New England “was half a truth
and half a self-delusion.” What was Hester’s reason for staying?
6. What dwelling did Hester find in order to live in?
7. Even though the simplicity of Puritan life generally excluded fancy needle-work, why was
Hester’s craft in demand?
6 / The Scarlet Letter
8. While her dresses were common, made of the coarsest materials, what was the one thing
that she wore that was of a “fantastic ingenuity”?
9. While she could have spent more time creating more fashionable items to sell, Hester would
sew for many hours making what for the poor?
10. According to the common people, what was the scarlet letter made of?
2.5 Critical Thinking

In chapter 4, Hester is afraid of being poisoned by Chillingworth. Do you agree that
Chillingworth’s allowing Hester to live rather than poisoning her would have been a greater
revenge? Why or why not?

Is there an inconsistency in the Puritan society that sought Hester’s skill for the government,
for the military, or for the ministry, but not for marriage? Is government, the military, or the
ministry less noble and pure than the institution of marriage? Discuss.

Hawthorne writes, “Like all other joys, [Hester] rejected it as sin.” Does the Bible teach that
anything that brings joy to the soul is sin? What does the Bible say about expressing joy?
Discuss.

The Puritans’ treatment of Hester does not seem to be of a behavior that is Christian. How
should Christians treat a person who has fallen into sin? On the other hand, argue that the
“A” convicted the people of their own hidden sins and, thus they avoided and shunned
Hester in order to be not reminded of their own sin.
2.6 Bonus Thoughts

Alchemy: As a pseudo-science, alchemy is the attempt to produce gold from common
elements, a panacea for curing all diseases, and an elixir for long life. Obviously, the
alchemists experimented with many different materials, chemicals, and minerals, leading
the way for the science of chemistry. However, alchemy is also a philosophy, having several
different forms found in both western and eastern thought.

“I know not Lethe nor Nepenthe”: This expression is an allusion to Greek mythology.
Both the Lethe and nepenthe are connected with forgetfulness. The Lethe is one of the five
rivers in Hades and is indeed the river of forgetfulness. On the other hand, nepenthe is
mentioned in the Odyssey, being a drug to help a person to forget sorrow and pain.
The Scarlet Letter / 7
The Scarlet Letter
Lesson Three
3.1 Vocabulary
efficacy n.
mutability n.
inalienable adj.
imperious adj.
3.2 Vocabulary Recognition
1. This outward _______________ indicated…the various properties of her inner life.
2. Man had marked this woman’s sin by a scarlet letter, which had such potent and disastrous
_________ that no human sympathy could reach her….
3. Often, nevertheless, more from caprice than necessity, she demanded to be taken up in
arms, but was soon as ____________ to be set down again.
4. All this enmity and passion had Pearl inherited, by ______________ right, out of Hester’s
heart.
3.3 Reading Assignment: The Scarlet Letter, chapters 6–7
3.4 Recall Questions
1. Why did Hester name her child, Pearl?
2. After trying to discipline Pearl with the “rod” and with “smiles,” Hester learns that molding
Pearl’s character was beyond her skill. What does Hester decide to do?
3. Hester would imagine that Pearl’s behavior resembled not of a human nature, but of a what?
4. How does Pearl react to the taunting and reviling of her and her mother by the children in
town?
5. As an infant, what was the first thing that Pearl was drawn to that belonged to her mother?
6. During the summer, Pearl would amuse herself by gathering flowers and throwing them at
what?
7. What were the two purposes of Hester’s going to the mansion of Governor Bellingham?
8. When Hester arrived at the mansion, the servant states the governor was being visited by
whom?
8 / The Scarlet Letter
9. When Hester looked into the polished breastplate, what was magnified greater than all of
her features?
10. What did Pearl want to have in the garden, which her mother had forbidden?
3.5 Critical Thinking

Consider the “games” the Puritan children played: going to church, beating Quakers,
fighting Indians, and imitating witchcraft. Are these wholesome activities? Why do you
suppose the Puritan children engaged themselves in such activities? Do the games that
children play reflect the society in which they live?

Some critics charge that Hawthorne’s description of Pearl in chapter 6 is unrealistic, since
the child seems to possess supernatural qualities. Do you agree? Does it matter if these
supernatural qualities are the product of Hester’s imagination, rather than fact?

Discuss the irony in the Puritans’ treatment of Hester and God’s treatment of her.

In chapter 7, discuss how the scarlet letter is symbolized in both Pearl and in the breastplate.
3.6 Bonus Thoughts

Allusions to Greek Mythology: Once again, Hawthorne reaches in the vast stores of Greek
mythology in today’s reading. The Dragon’s teeth is a reference to the legend of Cadmus.
Coming into a foreign land (after being directed to follow a cow, which led him to the land),
Cadmus ordered his servants to get some water. Unfortunately, a dragon lived in the land
and killed the servants. With his javelin and spear, Cadmus successfully kills the dragon and
avenges his servants. However, Cadmus hears a voice instructing him to take the dragon’s
teeth and sow them upon the soil. Up from the teeth arose fierce warriors who began to fight
with each other. All were killed except for five warriors. Finally, one of the warriors tossed
aside his weapons and convinced the other four that they should live in peace. These five
men joined Cadmus, and they became known as the Five of Thebes.
The tale of the Labyrinth, a very intricate maze, is quite interesting. The Labyrinth is
prominent in both the tales about Theseus and Daedalus. The half-man, half-bull known as
the Minotaur was placed in the Labyrinth and Athenian girls and boys were sacrificed to it.
However, Theseus rescues the last group from being killed and slays the Minotaur. The
designer of the Labyrinth was Daedalus, who lost favor with Minos, who was the King of
Crete and where the Labyrinth was located. Daedalus and his son, Icarus, were both put into
the Labyrinth to die. But, being of an inventiveness mind, Daedalus created a pair of wings
for himself and Icarus. Father and son were able to escape the Labyrinth by flying out.
However, Icarus flew too close to the sun, the wax melted from his wings, and he fell to his
death.

Incubus: An incubus is a nocturnal demon, which was part of the Roman Catholic folklore
during medieval times. Reportedly, the incubus would have intercourse with women while
they slept. The most famous offspring of the union of an incubus and a woman is none other
than Merlin of King Arthur’s court.

Indentured Servant: We learned that Governor Bellingham had an indentured servant.
Many colonists began as indentured servants, since oftentimes they did not have the
wherewithal to pay for their passage to the New World. An indentured servant was a slave,
which was an arrangement that conformed, for the most part, with the Bible. Although
The Scarlet Letter / 9
considered as voluntary servitude usually for seven-years duration, many indentured
servants were sold into slavery by their families (a practice still occurring in India today).
These servants were often poorly treated and frequently did not receive anything more
substantial for their years of labor than a ticket to the New World. The servants endured the
hardships knowing that they would soon become landowners and begin to make a life for
themselves. Not infrequently, the contract (indenture) was part of a master-apprentice
relationship, where the master would teach the apprentice his skill until he was fully trained.
The servant did not have a choice in what trade or profession he would practice.

The Pequot (Pequod) War: Involving the Pequot Indians and the settlers of the Plymouth
Colony and the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Pequot War was fought in 1636–37. The
Pequot was a strong tribe with its only rival in the area being the Narragansett tribe. Several
conflicts arose between the colonists and the Indians, including disputes over property,
colonists’ livestock damaging Indian crops, hunting, the selling of alcohol to Indians, and
dishonest traders. Besides these, the English Puritans believed that they were called of God
to build a New Jerusalem in the wilderness. The Puritans were inflexible and believed that
the Indian, as savages, must conform to their way of living. Nevertheless, while the Indian
tribes were constantly suffering at the hands of the Puritans, they were at the same time
growing more dependent on the trade goods of the colonists.
The Pequot was weakened by two things. First, the tribe was divided with half being proDutch and the other half being pro-English. Due to this division, the pro-Dutch faction left
the tribe and formed the Mohegan tribe, becoming an enemy to the Pequot. Second, the
English brought with them smallpox, which became an epidemic in 1633–34, killing nearly
half of the Pequot tribe.
Finally, the Indians had enough, and on 20 July 1636, John Oldham, who reportedly was a
dishonest trader, was killed by the Pequot. The Massachusetts Bay Colony raised a small
company of ninety men under the leadership of John Endicott. This troop landed on Block
Island and killed 14 Indians before they burned the entire village and crops. Endicott then
went to Saybrook where they demanded tribute from the Pequot village there. The Pequots
managed to flee the village before the Massachusetts troops arrived, who then burned the
village. Leaving a Connecticut garrison at Saybrook, which felt the continued wrath of the
Pequot, Endicott returned to Massachusetts.
The Pequot tried to enlist allies against the English. However, both the Narragansett and the
Mohegan refused to side with the Pequot tribe. This was due to previous hostilities by the
Pequot and to the influence of Roger Williams. While the Narragansett, and many smaller
tribes, remained neutral in the conflict, the Mohegan and the Mohawks joined the English
against the Pequots.
In May 1637, a military troop attacked the Pequot village located near New Haven,
Connecticut. The village was destroyed and over 500 Indians killed. The Pequot leader,
Sassacus, was captured in July 1637. Those who survived the war were sold in the West
Indies as slaves, which will be repeated in another Indian war, King Philip’s War in 1676.
Sassacus was executed by the Mohawks and the few Pequots who were able to escape the
English, fled to surrounding Indian tribes and were assimilated. The Pequot tribe, once a
powerful Indian nation, had ceased to be.
10 / The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter
Lesson Four
4.1 Vocabulary
apparition n.
bedizen v.
mountebank n.
erudition n.
4.2 Vocabulary Recognition
1. “Prithee, young one, who art thou, and what has ailed thy mother to ______________ thee
in this strange fashion?”
2. The pale clergyman piled up his library, rich with parchment-bound folios of the Fathers,
and the lore of Rabbis, and monkish _____________ of which the Protestant divines, even
while they vilified and decried that class of writers, were yet constrained often to avail
themselves.
3. “There used to be a swarm of these small _____________(s), in holiday-time; and we called
them children of the Lord of Misrule.”
4. “I feared the woman had no better thought than to make a _____________ of her child.”
4.3 Reading Assignment: The Scarlet Letter, chapters 8–9
4.4 Recall Questions
1. Who had become the close friend of Rev. Dimmesdale?
2. Why does Mr. Wilson suggest that Pearl should be called “Ruby” or “Coral”?
3. What is the significance of Governor’s Bellingham’s remark correcting Hester with
Babylon? See Rev. 17:4.
4. When asked from where she came, what answer did Pearl give to Mr. Wilson?
5. What were the conditions that Hester had to follow in order to keep Pearl?
6. Where does Mistress Hibbins invite Hester to come when she and Pearl left the governor’s
mansion?
7. What is the “other” profession of the only surgeon in Boston?
The Scarlet Letter / 11
8. What was the popular rumor about Chillingworth’s purpose for being in the New World?
9. What scene was on the tapestry that adorned the apartment of Rev. Dimmesdale?
10. After Roger Chillingworth and Rev. Dimmesdale moved into the same house, what
becomes the opinion of some about the purpose of Chillingworth?
4.5 Critical Thinking

Acting in the role of civil government, Governor Bellingham believed that Pearl would be
better cared for if taken away from Hester. Is it the role of government to determine who
make desirable parents? According to the Bible, who is responsible for raising children?

In chapter 8, what evidence suggests that Rev. Dimmesdale may be the father of Pearl?
Discuss.

How is evil represented through Roger Chillingworth and Mistress Hibbins? Discuss.
4.6 Bonus Thoughts

Salem Witch Trials (1692): The events leading up to the Salem Witch Trials is rather
involved, yet makes for interesting research. The Puritans were unfortunately a very
superstitious lot; however, they were merely reflecting the beliefs of their times. Several
girls were telling fortunes and relating stories that they had read from popular books of the
period. Tituba, a slave belonging to Rev. Samuel Parris, the pastor of a local congregation,
would join the girls and tell them stories about her homeland, Barbados. Soon, Tituba and
eventually well over 100 men and women, both free and slave, were accused of witchcraft.
Of those accused, nineteen were hanged with up to another seventeen dying while in prison.
One unfortunate victim, Giles Corey of Salem Farms, was pressed to death.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s great-grandfather, John Hathorne was one of the magistrates that
presided over the trials. Hawthorne added a “w” to his last name in order to distance himself
from John Hathorne.

Sir Kenelm Digby (1603–1665): Sir Digby was a true Renaissance man, being a military
officer, a diplomat, a scientist, an adventurer, and a writer. Being a Roman Catholic, Digby
was banished by the Long Parliament from England and lived in France for awhile.
Nevertheless, Digby became intimately acquainted with Oliver Cromwell. His claim to
scientific fame was the discovery that oxygen was necessary to plant life.
12 / The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter
Lesson Five
5.1 Vocabulary
ominous adj.
inimical adj.
palliate v.
machination n.
5.2 Vocabulary Recognition
1. Mr. Dimmesdale, whose sensibility of nerve often produced the effect of spiritual intuition,
would become vaguely aware that something ____________ to his peace had thrust itself
into relation with him.
2. Sometimes, a light glimmered out of the physician’s eyes, burning blue and
_____________, like the reflection of a furnace….
3. While…given over to the ____________________(s) of his deadliest enemy, the Reverend
Mr. Dimmesdale had achieved a brilliant popularity in his sacred office.
4. There had been nothing in the physician’s words to excuse or ______________.
5.3 Reading Assignment: The Scarlet Letter, chapters 10–11
5.4 Recall Questions
1. What metaphor is used to describe Chillingworth’s investigation of Rev. Dimmesdale?
2. What did Chillingworth have, which he said he found on a grave and were the result of
unconfessed sins?
3. What does Pearl do when she came upon a grave with a “broad, flat, armorial tombstone”?
4. What did Pearl arrange upon the scarlet letter of Hester?
5. When Pearl asked her mother to come away, or the Black Man will get her, to whom was
she calling the Black Man?
6. According to Chillingworth, Rev. Dimmesdale cannot be cured of his physical illness until
the minister does what?
7. While Rev. Dimmesdale was soundly sleeping, what did Chillingworth do after walking up
to the minister?
8. Even though Rev. Dimmesdale had an increasing distrust and disliking for Chillingworth, to
what did the minister attribute his feelings toward the physician?
The Scarlet Letter / 13
9. What was ironic about Rev. Dimmesdale declaring to his congregation that he was “utterly
a pollution and a lie”?
10. What Roman Catholic practice did Rev. Dimmesdale use upon himself, but with no avail to
his inner sufferings?
5.5 Critical Thinking

Rev. Dimmesdale remarks that confessed sin gives joy and relief to the sinner. Do you
agree? Does the minister’s concept of confession agree with the Bible? According to the
Bible, to whom should sinners confess their sins? Is it proper, or even advisable to confess
one’s sins to a minister or to a priest? Why or why not?

What evidence shows that Chillingworth is not completely evil? Argue that Chillingworth
did not choose the path of evil, but his desire for discovering the truth was of necessity.
5.6 Bonus Thoughts

The Apple of His Eye: This cliché is quite ancient. The ancients believed that the pupil of
the eye was solid, taking the form of an apple. Since it was necessary for sight, the pupil
was very precious. The expression is found in the Bible (Deuteronomy 32:10). Today the
cliché means a cherished person or object.

Foreshadowing: Chillingworth’s discovery of something on Rev. Dimmesdale’s chest is an
example of foreshadowing. As a literary device, foreshadowing offers an indication to the
reader of something that will be revealed more fully later in the literary work.
14 / The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter
Lesson Six
6.1 Vocabulary
expiation n.
decorous adj.
scurrilous adj.
austerity n.
6.2 Vocabulary Recognition
1. [The change in Hester’s beauty] might be partly owing to the studied ______________ of
her dress, and partly to the lack of demonstration in her manners.
2. “Satan dropped it there, I take it, intending a _____________ jest against your reverence.”
3. While standing on the scaffold, in this vain show of _____________, Mr. Dimmesdale was
overcome with a great horror of mind, as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on
his naked breast, right over his heart.
4. The whole tribe of _____________ personages, who had never heretofore been seen with a
single hair of their heads awry, would start into public view, with the disorder of a
nightmare in their aspects.
6.3 Reading Assignment: The Scarlet Letter, chapters 12–13
6.4 Recall Questions
1. Why was there no fear of discovery of Rev. Dimmesdale’s being on the scaffold?
2. According to Hawthorne, what is the sister of Remorse?
3. Who held a lantern, passing by the scaffold, yet not seeing Rev. Dimmesdale?
4. Who later comes by and accompanies Rev. Dimmesdale on the scaffold?
5. As a meteor lit up the sky, what does Rev. Dimmesdale imagine the meteor made?
6. What does the sexton find that belonged to Rev. Dimmesdale on the scaffold?
7. After seven years of wearing the scarlet letter, Hester had earned the respect of the
townspeople, and they began to say the scarlet letter stood for what?
8. According to local legend, what happened with an Indian shot an arrow at Hester?
9. What is meant, “The scarlet letter had not done its office”?
The Scarlet Letter / 15
10. What does Hester decide is the best course of action to help Rev. Dimmesdale?
6.5 Critical Thinking

Today’s reading is very psychological, that is, the reader is able to get into the mind of Rev.
Dimmesdale. The minister’s guilt and cowardice are central to Dimmesdale’s mental and
physical health. According to the Bible, does guilt occur as a violation of the conscience or
as a matter of hearing the word of God? Discuss.

Discuss how the letter “A” is used as a symbol in chapter 12.

Notice the explanations for the strange appearance of the meteor and for the sexton’s
finding Rev. Dimmesdale’s glove on the scaffold. Are there Biblical precedents for these
explanations, or are they merely superstition? Discuss.

Hawthorne states, “Every thing was against [Pearl]. The world was hostile.” What “world”
is Hawthorne referring to? Does Hawthorne exploit the idea that Boston represents evil and
hypocrisy, while seclusion in the countryside presents good and peace? Discuss.
6.6 Bonus Thoughts

Sexton: A sexton is an employee of a church, who cares for and maintains the building and
churchyard. Oftentimes the sexton’s duties include ringing the church bells and digging
graves.

The Enlightenment (Age of Reason): Hawthorne notes that Hester “assumed a freedom of
speculation….” Even though the Enlightenment was an eighteenth-century philosophical
movement, which examined past beliefs and traditions through reason, Hawthorne makes
Hester a harbinger of the coming new thinking. Of course, Hawthorne is a product of the
Enlightenment, and it is only natural that he would let Hester become a prophetess of the
new order, even though she is out of place and ahead of her time. Indeed, Hester will
eventually assure the women in the colony that “at some brighter period, when the world
should have grown ripe for it, in Heaven’s own time, a new truth would be revealed, in
order to establish the whole relation between man and woman on a surer ground of mutual
happiness.” While it is true that truth is reveal, this revelation is through an understanding of
the Bible, and not through the agency of human reason, which is corrupted by sin.
16 / The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter
Lesson Seven
7.1 Vocabulary
propinquity n.
deleterious adj.
precocity n.
scintillate v.
7.2 Vocabulary Recognition
1. “But it was the constant shadow of my presence!—the closest ______________ of the man
whom he had most vilely wronged!”
2. But now the idea came strongly into Hester’s mind, that Pearl, with her remarkable
_____________ and acuteness, might already have approached the age when she could
make a friend….
3. Or might it suffice Chillingworth, that every wholesome growth should be converted into
something ________________ and malignant at his touch?
4. Pearl…did actually catch the sunshine, and stood laughing in the midst of it, all brightened
by its splendor, and _______________(ing) with the vivacity excited by rapid motion.
7.3 Reading Assignment: The Scarlet Letters, chapters 14–16
7.4 Recall Questions
1. According to Chillingworth, what was the council of magistrates considering to do
regarding Hester’s punishment?
2. According to Chillingworth, why did he not avenge himself on Hester like he was doing
with Rev. Dimmesdale?
3. When Hester asks her husband to pardon her, Chillingworth claims that he is unable to do
so because of what?
4. As Hester observes her husband’s gathering of herbs after their conversation, what does she
express as her feelings toward Chillingworth?
5. While playing on the seashore, what did Pearl make out of eel-grass for her dress?
6. Pearl is persistent in asking what question to her mother?
7. Who was the Apostle Eliot?
8. According to Pearl, why was the sun frightened away?
The Scarlet Letter / 17
9. Hester tells Pearl that she had met the Black Man once in her life and that she received what
mark from him?
10. According to Hester, Rev. Dimmesdale did not seem to be suffering physically at all, except
for what gesture?
7.5 Critical Thinking

Is the context of Romans 12:19 applicable in the case of Roger Chillingworth? Is there ever
an appropriate occasion to avenge a wrong committed against you personally? against a
nation? Discuss.

What evil has Chillingworth committed against Rev. Dimmesdale? Does your posing as a
friend, when actually you are an enemy, make you a fiend? Why or why not?

Has Hester yet to repeat for her sin of adultery or ask for God’s forgiveness? What evidence
in today’s reading suggests that she has not?

Chapter 16 is rich with symbolism. What are these symbols and what do they mean?
Discuss.
7.6 Bonus Thoughts

Impersonal Fate: Chillingworth states, “Ye that have wronged me are not sinful, save in a
kind of typical illusion; neither am I fiend-like, who have snatched a fiend’s office from his
hands. It is our fate.” Chillingworth falls back upon his religion and belief that God has
ordained the events to occur. The Puritans accepted Calvinism as their systematic theology,
which allows very little free-will, except the will to sin. Even though Hester and
Dimmesdale had a choice to obey God, their wills chose to sin, and now the events have
been set into motion, which cannot be altered. Calvinism is often described as a form of
fatalism. However, this is not accurate. Fatalism is driven by impersonal forces, whether by
chance or by design. On the other hand, Calvinism recognizes that God is sovereign over
His creation, and that He is able to do as His wishes with His creation, including human
beings.

Hornbook: A hornbook was an early primer used to teach children to read. The book
consisted of a single page that was covered with a very thin, transparent sheet of horn.

Praying Indians: The Indian converts to Christianity were called Praying Indians. Some of
the converts were trained as preachers and went into Indian villages to preach the gospel.
However, the Indians distrusted the converts, believing them to be English spies (which
proved to be true in several cases), and the Puritans distrusted the Praying Indians, often
keeping them in guarded camps during Indian uprisings.

Scrofula: Hawthorne makes an error when he says scrofula is hereditary. Scrofula is a form
of tuberculosis, which is most common in children and is usually spread by milk that had
not been pasteurized from infected cows.

Apostrophe: In chapter 16, Pearl directly addresses the brook. This is an example of the
apostrophe, a direct address either to an absent person, to an abstract entity, or to an
inanimate object. The apostrophe belongs to the class of figures of speech called “rhetorical
figures.” Also included with rhetorical figures are the invocation, the rhetorical question, the
chiasmus, and the zeugma.
18 / The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter
Lesson Eight
8.1 Vocabulary
contiguity n.
misanthropy n.
trammel v.
denizen n.
8.2 Vocabulary Recognition
1. At the head of the social system, as the clergymen of that day stood, [Rev. Dimmesdale]
was only the more ______________(ed) by its regulations, its principles, and even its
prejudices.
2. In the _______________ of her own trouble, [Hester] left the minister to bear what she
might picture to herself as a more tolerable doom.
3. The very ________________ of his enemy…was enough to disturb the magnetic sphere of
a being so sensitive as Arthur Dimmesdale.
4. The small _________________ of the wilderness hardly took pains to move out of [Pearl’s]
path.
8.3 Reading Assignment: The Scarlet Letter, 17–18
8.4 Recall Questions
1. When Hester asks whether the knowledge of his being admired by his congregation helped
his finding peace, what did Rev. Dimmesdale state regarding how this knowledge affected
him?
2. Why does Hester desperately try to get Rev. Dimmesdale to forgive her for her not telling
him about Chillingworth?
3. Upon whose strength did Dimmesdale rely when he learned about Chillingworth?
4. What do Hester and Dimmesdale plot to do together?
5. What is the significance of his saying when Dimmesdale said he could not venture forth
alone?
6. How does Dimmesdale justify the fact that he never transgressed the received laws of his
society, even though he committed adultery with Hester?
7. What does Hester do with the scarlet letter?
The Scarlet Letter / 19
8. When Hester wants Dimmesdale to meet Pearl, what does the minister confess about his
feelings toward the child?
9. According to a tale, what wild animal approached Pearl to have its head petted?
8.5 Critical Thinking

Rev. Dimmesdale remarks that his torment is partially due to his having to speak the truth to
his congregation, while he knows of his own hypocrisy. Are ministers of the Gospel to have
a higher standard of conduct than other Christians? Consider 1 Timothy 4:1–7. In what
ways did Dimmesdale violate these verses?

Is running away from a problem ever a good solution to the problem? In the case of Rev.
Dimmesdale, did he have a better solution for avoiding his tormentor? Why was
Dimmesdale reluctant to openly confess his love for Hester as well as his sin with her?
[Remember what the penalty for adultery was.]

Explain how it is revealed that Hester and Dimmesdale are still passionate lovers, even after
seven years?
8.6 Bonus Thoughts

Casting Away the Scarlet Letter: Hester’s tossing the scarlet letter aside is rich in
meaning. Hester never did fit in Puritan society, because she is not a Puritan, but a “freethinker.” The scarlet letter represented conformity to man’s law, viewed as harsh and
joyless, but in the forest, Hester was under the law of nature, portrayed as benign and
liberating. Man’s law restrains and restricts; thus, without the scarlet letter, Hester was free
of being confined and could be herself. However, the purpose of law is to restrain the
natural tendencies to sin, although one could argue that the law failed in the case of Hester
and Dimmesdale, since their passions were not guarded. It is significant to note that the
forest accepts Pearl, who was a child born of natural passions, and not born in conformity to
law that governed the Puritans.
20 / The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter
Lesson Nine
9.1 Vocabulary
inure v.
caprice n.
duplicity n.
jocularity n.
9.2 Vocabulary Recognition
1. All such professors of the several branches of ________________ would have been sternly
repressed, not only by the rigid discipline of law, but by the general sentiment which gives
low its vitality.
2. Hester Prynne, who, however ___________(ed) to such behaviour on the elf-child’s part at
other seasons, was naturally anxious for a more seemly deportment now.
3. In order to free his mind from this indistinctness and ______________ of impression, which
vexed it with a strange disquietude, [Rev. Dimmesdale] recalled and more thoroughly
defined the plans which Hester and himself had sketched for their departure.
4. Whether influenced by the jealousy that seems instinctive with every petted child towards a
dangerous rival, or from whatever ____________ of her freakish nature, Pearl would show
no favor to the clergyman.
9.3 Reading Assignment: The Scarlet Letter, chapters 19–21
9.4 Recall Questions
1. Why did Dimmesdale feel alarm whenever Pearl was by his side in the town?
2. Before Pearl would come to her mother, what did she require of Hester to do?
3. After Dimmesdale kisses Pearl on the forehead, what does the child do and why is her
action significant?
4. Where did Hester and Dimmesdale agree to go after leaving Boston?
5. As Dimmesdale ventured back into the town, how was he affected when he saw familiar
people?
6. Whom does Dimmesdale meet in the street, who seemed to know where he was?
7. What is ironic about Chillingworth’s stating, “The people look for great things from you;
apprehending that another year may come about, and find their pastor gone”?
The Scarlet Letter / 21
8. What does Rev. Dimmesdale do with the copy of his election sermon that he had started?
9. According to Hawthorne, since the second generation of Puritan “wore the blackest shade of
Puritanism,” what was darkened by this shade?
10. What does the captain of the Spanish Main reveal to Hester in the marketplace?
9.5 Critical Thinking

Is Pearl’s forcing Hester, an adult and her mother, to wear the scarlet letter unrealistic?
Consider the explanation of Hester regarding the thinking of children.

Hawthorne writes, “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 the true.”
How does this statement apply to Rev. Dimmesdale?
9.6 Bonus Thoughts

Election Sermon: The use of the Election Sermon was not only to remind the Puritans
about their “errand into the wilderness,” but also revealed to the outside world the “New
England Way.” The election sermon is unique to New England with Connecticut having
them from 1674 through 1830, New Hampshire from 1784 through 1831, Vermont from
1777 through 1834, and Massachusetts from 1634 through 1884. Election Day was the most
important holiday of the year for New England, since new assistants were elected to help
the governor. After the delivery of the sermons, they were published and quickly distributed
at home and abroad, and can rightly be called the first voice of America. Indeed, the
influential leader, John Winthrop, saw the New England colony as an experiment of how
Puritanism can work on a small scale, and then it would be a guide for old England as it
applied the lessons on a grander one. Winthrop stated, “ We shall be as a city upon a hill.”

Puritanism and Jocularity: Many critics, particularly Christian scholars, suggest that
Hawthorne overstates the lack of joy in Puritan New England. However, with the takeover
of the government by the Puritans, many of the amusements and diversions common in
England were outlawed both in England and in the colonies, such as the Christmas
celebrations and plays, especially Shakespeare. However, the Christmas celebration in
England was nothing more than a drunken revelry and did not conform to Biblical standards
of conduct. The notion of celebrating the birth of Christ with the giving of gifts is distinctly
American. Nevertheless, one of the primary reasons for the English desiring a king once
again and doing away with the Puritan republic was to participate in their amusements.
22 / The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter
Lesson Ten
10.1
Vocabulary
plaintiveness n.
indefatigable adj.
languid adj.
nugatory adj.
10.2 Vocabulary Recognition
1. It indicated the restless vivacity of her spirit, which to-day was doubly ________________
in its tiptoe dance, because it was played upon and vibrated with her mother’s disquietude.
2. Majestic as the voice sometimes became, there was for ever in it an essential character of
________________.
3. According to these highly respectable witnesses, the minister…had desired, by yielding up
his breath in the arms of that fallen woman, to express to the world how utterly
______________ is the choicest of man’s own righteousness.
4. The inhabitants of the town (their own interest in the worn-out subject __________(ly)
reviving itself, by sympathy with what they saw others feel) lounged idly to the quarter.
10.3 Reading Assignment: The Scarlet Letter, chapters 22–24
10.4 Recall Questions
1. According Hawthorne, in the early colonial days, how did the people select their statesmen
and their governors?
2. As the procession passed by the marketplace, who speaks with Hester and Pearl?
3. What does the captain of the Spanish Main throw to Pearl?
4. What is the significance of Hester’s standing by the scaffold and Dimmesdale’s standing in
the church?
5. How did the audience interpret the occasional pathos found in Rev. Dimmesdale’s sermon?
6. Why does Rev. Dimmesdale pause in front of the scaffold during the march to the banquet?
7. According to Chillingworth, where was the only place on earth that Rev. Dimmesdale could
escape the physician’s presence?
8. What does Dimmesdale reveal to the crowd after pulling his clothing away from his chest?
The Scarlet Letter / 23
9. To whom did Roger Chillingworth bequeathed property in both England and the colonies?
10. After leaving New England with Pearl, Hester later returns alone to her cottage several
years later. Hester was no longer in demand as a seamstress, but as a what?
10.5 Critical Thinking

Some public schools have banned The Scarlet Letter in the libraries and in the classrooms.
Supposedly the censors claim the novel glorifies adultery. Do you agree with this claim?
Socialists always have an official reason for doing something, which is never the real
reason. In the case of the banning of The Scarlet Letter, what do you suppose is the real
reason for its ban?

Is The Scarlet Letter an allegory, or in other words, do the places, events, and characters
represent more than a literal meaning, but have a secondary, broader meaning? If so, what
are the broader meaning of characters like Governor Bellingham and Rev. Dimmesdale or
places like the forest?

Compare and contrast the three scaffold scenes in The Scarlet Letter.

Was Hester Prynne a Puritan, or was she merely conforming to the mores of society in
which she lived? Discuss.
10.6 Bonus Thoughts

Knights Templars: The greatest of the military orders spawned by the Crusades was the
Order of the Temple, its members being warrior-priests. In 1119, several knights went to
Jerusalem for the purpose of protecting pilgrims in the Holy Land. The knights resided in a
building near the place of Solomon’s Temple. Thus, the knights became known as Knights
Templars. By the mid-12th century, the Templars had established themselves in nearly
every country in western Europe. Eventually, the Templars became very wealthy and
organized banks throughout Europe. The greatest banking institution in the world at this
time was the Temple of Paris. Most of the monarchs in Europe were in debt to the
Templars, and it was only a matter of time before the Templars’ assets would be coveted.
During the reign of Philip IV of France (1285–1314), the Templars fell victim of the king’s
greed (and debt). The Templars were officially accused of sodomy; the actual reason was
Philip IV was broke and needed money. The Templars were arrested, tortured, and
executed. With the help of Pope Clement V, who was a Frenchman, the order was
abolished, and all of the Templars’ property was seized. Some of the property was
transferred to another military order, the Hospitalers. However, most of the confiscated
wealth and lands were taken over by the monarchs in the countries where the property was
located.

On a Field, Sable, The Letter A, Gules: The single tombstone shared by Rev.
Dimmesdale and Hester was made of slate. The colors of sable and gules are terms used in
heraldry, which are black and red respectively. Thus, the “motto” is Hawthorne’s last use of
symbolism in his novel. With such a dark background, the only thing that offered any
brightness was the scarlet letter.
24 / The Scarlet Letter
Glossary for The Scarlet Letter
apparition (²p”…-r¹sh“…n) n. A ghostly figure; a specter; a sudden or unusual sight
ascetic (…-sμt“¹k) adj. Leading a life of self-discipline and self-denial, especially for spiritual
improvement
austerity (ô-stμr“¹-t¶) n. The quality of being severe and rigid economically
bedizen (b¹-dº“z…n) v. To ornament or dress in a showy or gaudy manner
caprice (k…-pr¶s“) n. An impulsive change of mind; a sudden, unpredictable action, change, or
series of actions or changes
congenial (k…n-j¶n“y…l) adj. Having the same tastes, habits, or temperament; sympathetic; of a
pleasant disposition; friendly and sociable
contiguity (k¼n”t¹-gy›“¹-t¶) n. Togetherness; a state of being connected; a continuous mass or
series
decorous (dμk“…r-…s) adj. Characterized by or exhibiting decorum; proper
deleterious (dμl”¹-tîr“¶-…s) adj. Having a harmful effect; injurious
denizen (dμn“¹-z…n) n. An inhabitant; a resident; one that frequents a particular place
duplicity (d›-pl¹s“¹-t¶) n. Deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech; an instance of
deliberate deceptiveness; double-dealing
efficacy (μf“¹-k…-s¶) n. Power or capacity to produce a desired effect; effectiveness.
erudition (μr”y…-d¹sh“…n) n. Deep, extensive learning
evanescent (μv”…-nμs“…nt) adj. Vanishing or likely to vanish like vapor
expiation (μk”sp¶-³“sh…n) n. The act of atoning; an atonement
inimical (¹-n¹m“¹-k…l) adj. Injurious or harmful in effect; adverse; unfriendly; hostile
imperious (¹m-pîr“¶-…s) adj. Arrogantly domineering or overbearing; urgent; pressing
inalienable (¹n-³l“y…-n…-b…l) adj. That cannot be transferred to another or others
inauspicious (¹n”ô-sp¹sh“…s) adj. Not favorable; not auspicious
indefatigable (¹n”d¹-f²t“¹-g…-b…l) adj. Incapable or seemingly incapable of being fatigued;
tireless
inure (¹n-y‹r“) v. To habituate to something undesirable, especially by prolonged subjection;
accustom
jocularity (j¼k“y…-l…r) adj. Given to joking
languid (l²ng“gw¹d) adj. Lacking energy or vitality; weak; showing little or no spirit or
animation; listless; lacking vigor or force; slow
lurid (l‹r“¹d) adj. Causing shock or horror; gruesome; marked by sensationalism; glowing or
shining with the glare of fire
machination (m²k”…-n³“sh…n) n. The act of plotting; a crafty scheme or cunning design for the
accomplishment of a sinister end
misanthropy (m¹s-²n“thr…-p¶) n. Hatred or mistrust of humankind
mountebank (moun“t…-b²ngk”) n. A hawker of quack medicines who attracts customers with
stories, jokes, or tricks; a flamboyant charlatan
mutability (my›“t…-b…l) adj. Capable of or subject to change or alteration; prone to frequent
change; inconstant
nugatory (n›“g…-tôr”¶) adj. Of little or no importance; trifling; having no force; invalid
ominous (¼m“…-n…s) adj. Menacing; threatening; of or being an omen, especially an evil one
palliate (p²l“¶-³t”) v. To make an offense or crime seem less serious; to make less severe or
intense; mitigate
The Scarlet Letter / 25
peremptory (p…-rμmp“t…-r¶) adj. Putting an end to all debate or action; not allowing
contradiction or refusal; imperative
plaintiveness (pl³n“t¹v-n¹s) n. Sorrow; mourning, or melancholy
precocity (pri-“kä-s…-t¶) adj. Manifesting unusually early development or maturity, especially in
mental aptitude
propinquity (pr…-p¹ng“kw¹-t¶) n. Proximity; nearness; kinship; similarity in nature.
sagacity (s…-g²s“¹-t¶) n. The quality of being discerning, sound in judgment, and farsighted;
wisdom
scintillate (s¹n“tl-³t”) v. To throw off sparks; flash; to sparkle or shine; to be animated and
brilliant
scurrilous (skûr“…-l…s) adj. Given to the use of vulgar, coarse, or abusive language; foulmouthed
sumptuary (s¾mp“ch›-μr”¶) adj. Regulating personal behavior on moral or religious grounds
trammel (tr²m“…l) n. Anything that restricts activity, expression, or progress; a restraint
26 / The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter
Vocabulary Quiz #1—Lessons 1–5
1. Governor Bellingham was a good choice for leading the community due to his
___________, which was often displayed when he rendered wise decisions.
(A) apparition
(B) efficacy
(C) machination
(D) mountebank
(E) sagacity
2. Rev. Dimmesdale, who appeared to live a most ____________ life which was above
reproach regarding his holiness, pleaded with Hester to reveal the partner of her sin.
(A) ascetic
(B) congenial
(C) imperious
(D) lurid
(E) ominous
3. Whenever Mrs. Hibbins walked the streets, the townspeople’s imaginations would produce
____________ thoughts about secret meetings with the Devil, and they knew her presence
in town was a(n) _____________ sign that suggested evil things to come.
(A) congenial . . inimical
(B) ascetic . . inalienable
(C) lurid . . ominous
(D) inauspicious . . peremptory
(E) sumptuary . . evanescent
4. Being a scholarly man with great learning, Mr. Chillingworth soon became known
throughout the region for his ____________, to whom many came to seek answers.
(A) apparition
(B) erudition
(C) machination
(D) mountebank
(E) mutability
5. Mr. Chillingworth sought a terrible revenge when he devised his ______________ to entrap
Rev. Dimmesdale by his displaying a(n) _____________ and father-like manner to the
young minister.
(A) sagacity . . inauspicious
(B) apparition . . evanescent
(C) mountebank . . imperious
(D) machination . . congenial
(E) efficacy . . ominous
OVER
Vocab Quiz 6072
6. MUTABILITY : FIRMNESS : :
(A) calculation : addition
(B) building : parking lot
(C) feasibility : suitability
(D) appointment : resignation
(E) reservation : withholding
7. APPARITION : GHOST : :
(A) student : book
(B) duck : pond
(C) child : mother
(D) bread : wheat
(E) storm : tempest
8. MOUNTEBANK : SALESMAN : :
(A) deserter : soldier
(B) gold : copper
(C) paragraph : alphabet
(D) police : criminal
(E) forest : lake
9. INALIENABLE : TRANSFERABLE : :
(A) dispossessed : evicted
(B) watchful : alert
(C) spoiled : fresh
(D) anxious : uneasy
(E) luxurious : rich
10. INAUSPICIOUS : UNFAVORABLE : :
(A) reliable : stable
(B) loathsome : attractive
(C) acceptable : inappropriate
(D) wonderful : unworthy
(E) factual : inaccurate
11. To many of the townspeople, Hester’s
designing the “A” in an elaborate way
seemed only to palliate her sin, instead
of suffering fully for it.
The word “palliate” means
(A) mock.
(B) mitigate.
(C) increase.
(D) ignore.
(E) acknowledge.
12. The wearing of the “A” did not have
the efficacy desired by the magistrates,
since Hester was not completely
shunned by the community, but rather
became a vital part of it.
The word “efficacy” means most nearly
in this sentence
(A) punishment.
(B) politeness.
(C) beauty.
(D) scorn.
(E) effectiveness.
13. Hester was not of the nature that was
evanescent and fragile, as if she would
disappear into the air like fog overtaken
by the morning sun, but she had
fortitude and dignity.
The word “evanescent” means to
(A) hard.
(B) reckless.
(C) abandoned.
(D) vanishing.
(E) thoughtless.
Vocab Quiz 6072
The Scarlet Letter
Vocabulary Quiz #2—Lessons 5–10
1. Rev. Dimmesdale preached to his congregation with a majestic and eloquent air, but many
could note a bit of ________________, a sorrow that was not too evident.
(A) caprice
(B) jocularity
(C) plaintiveness
(D) precocity
(E) propinquity
2. Pearl would amaze her mother everyday with new revelations of the child’s ____________,
which made the child appear to be very advanced for her age and for her experience in life.
(A) caprice
(B) duplicity
(C) jocularity
(D) precocity
(E) propinquity
3. Hester worked continuously as if she were ________, making a comfortable home for her
child even though the cottage was plain and secluded, reflecting her self-imposed
________.
(A) decorous . . caprice
(B) scurrilous . . duplicity
(C) languid . . expiation
(D) trammeled . . misanthropy
(E) indefatigable . . austerity
4. The mood of the __________ who inhabited the town was one of soberness and graveness,
because all amusements and ___________ were suppressed by the strict laws of conduct.
(A) austerity . . propinquity
(B) denizens . . jocularity
(C) expiation . . plaintiveness
(D) caprice . . contiguity
(E) precocity . . duplicity
5. Chillingworth could not be appeased at all, desiring even the forces of nature to be turned
into a power that was ___________ and evil, wanting Rev. Dimmesdale to pay a full
____________ with his total ruin.
(A) deleterious . . expiation
(B) languid . . propinquity
(C) nugatory . . precocity
(D) decorous . . jocularity
(E) scurrilous . . duplicity
OVER
Vocab Quiz 6072
6. MISANTHROPY : MANKIND : :
(A) misbehavior : students
(B) mistake : errors
(C) misogyny : women
(D) misinformation : government
(E) disorientation : pilots
7. SCINTILLATE : FLASH : :
(A) excel : fail
(B) cultivate : uproot
(C) question : inform
(D) extinguish : quench
(E) return : possess
8. DUPLICITY : FAITHFULNESS : :
(A) forgiveness : honesty
(B) burden : relief
(C) admonishment : warning
(D) labor : work
(E) refusal : rejection
9. LANGUID : LIVELY : :
(A) true : correct
(B) purchase: buy
(C) brave : bold
(D) confident : pessimistic
(E) retain : possess
10. CAPRICE : WHIM : :
(A) blessing : curse
(B) piety : irreligious
(C) soberness : seriousness
(D) matron : debutante
(E) democracy : anarchy
11. As Rev. Dimmesdale entered the
church to deliver his election sermon,
he observed the many noble and
decorous personages who occupied the
pews.
The word “decorous” means
(A) ill-mannered.
(B) plain.
(C) capricious.
(D) proper.
(E) vulgar.
12. The contiguity of the Puritan
government with the Puritan religion
led to abuses and intolerance, which
were alleviated later with the growing
recognition of freedom of thought.
The word “contiguity” means in this
sentence
(L) connection.
(M)treaty.
(N) vice.
(O) separation.
(P) hatred.
13. The only explanation provided by the
townspeople for Rev. Dimmesdale’s
dying in the arms of Hester was the
minister’s desire to give an object
lesson for the truth that man’s
righteousness is nugatory in this world.
The word “nugatory” means
(A) supreme.
(B) evil.
(C) unworthy.
(D) unimportant.
(E) pressing.
Vocab Quiz 6072
Answer Keys to The Scarlet Letter
Vocabulary Recognition, Lesson 1
1. inauspicious
2. sagacity
3. evanescent
4. congenial
Lesson 1
1. The black flower was a prison.
2. A wild rose grew next to the prison door.
3. The woman suggests that the letter should be branded on Hester’s forehead.
4. Hester held a baby in her arms, the result of her adultery.
5. The misshapen scholar is the husband of Hester.
6. The setting is Boston.
7. Daniel was able to interpret dreams and thus reveal mysteries. In the case of Hester, no one
could reveal who the father of the baby was.
8. The stranger states, “He will be known.”
9. The task was given to her pastor, Rev. Dimmesdale.
10. The topic was on sin.
Vocabulary Recognition, Lesson 2
1. ascetic
2. lurid
3. peremptory
4. sumptuary
Lesson 2
1. Hester acted as though she might commit suicide or even hurt her baby.
2. The prison was the most suitable place to hold Chillingworth until the magistrates could
arrange for his ransom.
3. The hungry dream was knowledge.
4. Chillingworth wishes Hester not to reveal who he really is.
5. Hester believed that by suffering in the place of her shame, her soul would be cleansed with
a greater purity that what she had lost.
6. Hester occupied an abandoned cottage on the outskirts of the town.
7. Fashionable items were worn during public ceremonies as well as by babies.
8. Hester wore a fanciful scarlet “A.”
9. Hester made clothing for the poor.
10. The letter was made of infernal fire.
Vocabulary Recognition, Lesson 3
1. mutability
2. efficacy
3. imperious
4. inalienable
1
Lesson 3
1. Pearl was purchased at a great cost.
2. Hester decides to stand aside and allow Pearl “to be swayed by her own impulses.”
3. Pearl behaved more like an “airy sprite.”
4. Pearl would get angry and throw stones at the children.
5. Pearl was drawn to the scarlet letter.
6. Pearl would throw the flowers at the scarlet letter.
7. Hester was delivering a pair of gloves, which she had fringed and embroidered, and she
wanted to talk to Governor Bellingham about the question of custody of Pearl.
8. The governor was visited by a minister or two and a doctor (a leech).
9. The scarlet letter was magnified above everything else.
10. Pearl wanted a red rose.
Vocabulary Recognition, Lesson 4
1. bedizen
2. erudition
3. apparitions
4. mountebank
Lesson 4
1. Roger Chillingworth had become the close friend of Rev. Dimmesdale.
2. Pearl was dressed in red, which is the color of ruby and coral.
3. Mystery Babylon is a harlot, who is arrayed in purple and scarlet.
4. Pearl stated that she was plucked off a wild rose bush by her mother.
5. Pearl would have to be instructed in the catechism by Rev. Dimmesdale, attend school, and
go to church.
6. Mistress Hibbins invites Hester to a meeting with the Black Man in the forest at night.
7. The other profession was that of being a barber.
8. God had transported Chillingworth to the New World in order to care for Rev. Dimmesdale.
9. The scene included David, Bathsheba, an Nathan the prophet.
10. Chillingworth was a satanic influence to test the faith of Rev. Dimmesdale.
Vocabulary Recognition, Lesson 5
1. inimical
2. ominous
3. machinations
4. palliate
Lesson 5
1. The metaphor is one of a miner looking for treasure.
2. Chillingworth had a bundle of dark, unsightly weeds (plants).
3. Pearl began to dance upon the grave.
4. Pearl arranged “prickly burrs” upon the scarlet letter.
5. Pearl was referring to Roger Chillingworth.
6. Rev. Dimmesdale must first lay open the wound afflicting his soul.
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7. Chillingworth pulled aside Rev. Dimmesdale’s clothing to look upon the minister’s chest.
8. Rev. Dimmesdale attributed his feelings toward Chillingworth to be the result of his
troubled heart and sinful self, not anything based on Chillingworth’s actions.
9. The people of the congregation believed that the minister was all the more saintly and
Godly.
10. The minister would use a scourge upon himself.
Vocabulary Recognition, Lesson 6
1. austerity
2. scurrilous
3. expiation
4. decorous
Lesson 6
1. The entire town was asleep, and the night was very dark.
2. Cowardice is the sister of Remorse.
3. The Rev. Mr. Wilson walked by the scaffold.
4. Hester and Pearl accompany Rev. Dimmesdale on the scaffold.
5. Rev. Dimmesdale thought the meteor made an “A.”
6. The sexton found a glove on the scaffold.
7. The letter stood for “able.”
8. The arrow struck the scarlet letter and fell to the ground without harming Hester.
9. The purpose of the wearing the letter was to create a greater humility towards God;
however, Hester is so troubled that instead of drawing closer to God, she actually thinks
about murdering Pearl and killing herself.
10. Hester decides to talk to Roger Chillingworth in order to get him to stop persecuting Rev.
Dimmesdale.
Vocabulary Recognition, Lesson 7
1. propinquity
2. precocity
3. deleterious
4. scintillating
Lesson 7
1. The magistrates were considering removing the scarlet letter from Hester.
2. Chillingworth thought the scarlet letter was enough of a punish for Hester.
3. The events that have taken place in their lives were the result of fate, and that he did not
have the power to forgive her or Rev. Dimmesdale.
4. Hester states that he hated Chillingworth.
5. Pearl made a letter “A.”
6. Pearl asks what is the meaning of the scarlet letter.
7. The Apostle Eliot was the name of an Indian convert of Rev. Dimmesdale.
8. Pearl stated that the sun was afraid of the scarlet letter.
9. Hester received the Black Man’s mark, which was the scarlet letter.
10. The minister kept his hand over his heart.
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Vocabulary Recognition, Lesson 8
1. trammelled
2. contiguity
3. misanthropy
4. denizen
Lesson 8
1. The minister stated this admiration only added to his torment and misery.
2. The whole world frowned upon her, and Hester could not bear to have Dimmesdale do the
same.
3. Dimmesdale relied upon the strength of Hester.
4. Hester and Rev. Dimmesdale decide to leave Boston together.
5. The significance of the word “alone” was a proposal of marriage to Hester.
6. The love of Dimmesdale for Hester was a weakness of his yielding to passion, not of his
renouncing principles.
7. Hester removes the letter from her dress and throws it into the woods.
8. Rev. Dimmesdale admits that he is afraid of Pearl.
9. A wolf approached Pearl to have its head petted.
Vocabulary Recognition, Lesson 9
1. jocularity
2. inured
3. duplicity
4. caprice
Lesson 9
1. Pearl had many features in her face that resembled Rev. Dimmesdale.
2. Hester had to fetch the discarded scarlet letter and place it again on her dress.
3. Pearl rushes to the brook to wash her forehead, which suggests that until the minister
confesses his sin and be seen with Hester and her in public, she will give him no affection.
4. Hester and Dimmesdale agreed to go to England (Bristol).
5. Dimmesdale was tempted to say or to do evil things as though he were undergoing a trial.
6. Dimmesdale meets Mistress Hibbins in the street.
7. Dimmesdale will be gone if his scheme works. Also, it is possible that Chillingworth is
aware of his leaving the New World, while Dimmesdale thinks Chillingworth means
“death.”
8. Rev. Dimmesdale tosses the sermon into the fire.
9. The art of gayety was darkened by Puritanism.
10. The captain reveals that Chillingworth will be leaving on the ship as well.
Vocabulary Recognition, Lesson 10
1. indefatigable
2. plaintiveness
3. nugatory
4. languidly
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Lesson 10
1. Statesmen were selected not according to their intellect, but according to their “ponderous
sobriety.”
2. Mistress Hibbins speaks to Hester and Pearl.
3. The captain threw a gold chain to Pearl.
4. So long as Dimmesdale is seen as a spotless minister and Hester as a woman of shame,
Hester and Dimmesdale can never be happy in Puritan New England.
5. The audience interpreted the pathos as the minister’s insight to his impending death.
6. Rev. Dimmesdale calls Hester and Pearl to come to him.
7. Chillingworth tells Rev. Dimmesdale that the scaffold was the only place on earth where the
minister could escape him.
8. Rev. Dimmesdale revealed an “A” that was craved into his chest. However, others reported
that they did not see any mark whatsoever.
9. Chillingworth bequeathed property to Pearl.
10. Hester was in demand as a counselor, especially for women who suffered either shame or
misunderstanding.
Quiz #1
Quiz #2
1. E
2. A
3. C
4. B
5. D
6. D
7. E
8. A
9. C
10. A
11. B
12. E
13. D
1. C
2. D
3. E
4. B
5. A
6. C
7. D
8. B
9. D
10. C
11. D
12. A
13. D
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