Name: __________________________________________
Date: _______________
Quiz name: The Scarlet Letter, Chapters 1-6 (a)
What two necessities, according to Hawthorne must the founders of a new colony immediately
provide?
1.
A
A church and a pub
B
A school and a church
C
A prison and a cemetary
D
A prison and a church
2.
Under whose footsteps was the rosebush outside the prison supposed to have sprung up?
A
Hester Prynne
B
Anne Hutchinson
C
Roger Chillingworth
D
Elizabeth Proctor
What kind of spectacle have the townspeople of Boston gathered to witness at the beginning of the
novel?
3.
A
The public humiliation of Hester Prynne
B
The public execution of Hester Prynne
C
The birth of Pearl
D
The confession of Arthur Dimmesdale
4.
What is the significance of the scarlet letter "A" which is embroidered on Hester's gown?
A
Angel
B
Adulteress
C
Apathetic
D
Abolitionist
The stranger who appears at the outskirts of the crowd while Hester stands on the scaffold is slightly
deformed in what way?
5.
A
His eyes seem too big for his head
B
He has six fingers on his left hand
C
His nose is growing out of his cheek
D
HIs shoulders are uneven
What explanation does the stranger make to the townsman he speaks with that accounts for his
combination of "civilized and savage" costume?
6.
A
He is an actor
B
He was kidnapped by Native Americans
C
He likes to look unusual
D
He is a diplomat for the Native Americans
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The townsman tells the stranger that the judge has been lenient with Hester because of her youth
and because she is probably a widow. What was the severest possible punishment for adultery in the
Massachusetts colony?
7.
A
Capital Punishment
B
Branding the letter on the body
C
Deportation
D
Public Humiliation
8.
How long does Hester have to stand on the scaffold?
A
Twelve hours
B
Three hours
C
Two days
D
Two hours every day for two weeks
9.
How long must Hester wear the scarlet letter?
A
The rest of her life
B
Until she reveals the name of her lover
C
Until she moves away
D
All of the above
What seems to particularly disturb the stranger after he has learned of the sentence imposed on
Hester?
10.
A
That she get to stand on the scaffold fully clothed
B
That her baby was not executed at birth
C
That she is standing on the scaffold without her lover
D
That he was too late to save her
Where is Roger Chillingworth, the "Stranger" of chapter 3, to lodge while the authorities work out his
ransom?
11.
A
In the prison
B
With Arthur Dimmesdale
C
With the Governor
D
With the Native Americans
12.
Why does Hester at first resist Chillingworth's attempts to give her child medicine?
A
She fears he will try to kill the baby
B
She believes God will heal the baby
C
Her baby has terrible allergies
D
His hands are unclean
13.
What promise does Chillingworth exact from Hester?
A
That she will not have a physical relationship with another person for the rest of her life
B
That she will reveal the name of her lover and the father of her child within one year
C
That she will not tell anyone of their prior relationship and that he is her husband
D
That she will not remain silent and not reveal the name of her lover
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14.
What reasons does Hawthorne give for Hester remaining in Boston where she is an outcast?
A
She desires to remain close to her lover
B
The place of her sin should be the place of her punishment
C
A and B
D
Neither A nor B
Hawthorne mentions three main occasions for which the people of Boston made use of Hester's
sewing skills. What are they?
15.
A
Births, Deaths, Resurrections
B
Births, Deaths, Public Ceremonies
C
Births, Deaths, Weddings
D
Deaths, Public Ceremonies, Weddings
16.
What was the first object Pearl seemed to be aware of as an infant?
A
Her mother's hair
B
Her father's glasses
C
Her mother's scarlet letter
D
Her mother's smile
17.
How does Hester account for Pearl's unruly behavior?
A
Pearl is an imp of evil
B
Pearl is an emblem and product of sin
C
Pearl imbibed Hester's impassioned state as an infant
D
All of the above
18.
What does Pearl throw at her mother's scarlet letter?
A
Rocks
B
Flowers
C
Food
D
Dirt
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