What’s Your Letter?:
Public Humiliation and The Scarlet Letter
Part I: Letter
Think of something that you have done in your life that is really, really bad or that you are really, really
ashamed of. This could be an action that you have literally committed (i.e. stealing, murder, money laundering,
cheating, skipping school, etc.) or a habit or characteristic that is not very admirable (i.e. procrastination, lying,
negativity, rudeness, etc.). Based off of Hester Prynne’s scarlet letter, design your own letter that represents
your “sin.” Your letter should be at least 8 inches tall and should be decorated in a way which symbolically
represents your sin and your feelings towards this sin (think of Hester’s golden/red embellishment of her
letter which represents the nature of her sin: adultery). If you’re struggling to come up with a word for your
letter, ask your parents, a teacher, a coach, or a friend what they think you struggle with. Our friends/loved ones
sometimes see us better than we can see ourselves.
Part II: Explanation
After you have created your letter, you need to write a half-page explanation of the symbolic nature of your
letter. Explain in not only what the letter stands for, but also how the visual aspects of your letter match the
nature of your “sin.” I understand that this is personal for many of you, so I assure you that your response will
be kept completely private—what you write will remain between the two of us.
Part III: Validation Chart
The final step in this process is that you will be required to wear your letter in every class (even the career
center) for one whole day. You must have each of your teachers sign the attached form verifying that you have
worn your letter prominently (above jackets, clearly visible).
Part IV: Final Response
You need to write-up your response at home and bring all components into class ready to turn in on the final
due date. Your write-up needs to be a minimum of two detailed paragraphs. Be aware: 4 short sentences do
not make a decent paragraph. Instead, you need to make sure you answer all of the questions for each
paragraph. Your two paragraphs should answer the following:
 Paragraph 1:
 Describe your day(s) wearing your letter; give at least three examples of things that happened to
you while wearing your letter.
 What are your feelings about having worn this letter all day; what did it mean to you? How did it
feel?
 Have your opinions towards your “sin” changed at all?
 Paragraph 2:
 What connections can you make between your experiences and The Scarlet Letter?
 Do you feel differently about Hester’s punishment now that you experienced something similar
to this?
 Read the newspaper article from The Boston Sun. Now that you have experienced something
similar to this public shaming, how do you feel about this as a viable option for punishment in
today’s society? Make sure you reference the article in your answer somehow to prove that you
read it.
Grade Breakdown/Rubric – This project is worth 2 daily grades.
1st Daily Grade: Completion of the project
 The creation of the letter: making sure it is thought out, neat, meets height requirements, and
matches visually/symbolically the meaning of your word.
 The actual wearing of the letter: getting your teachers to sign the chart and turning the chart in on
the assigned day.
nd
2 Daily Grade: Completion of the write-up
 Meets length requirements (1/2 page for letter explanation, 2 detailed paragraphs for response to
the project and newspaper article)
 Answers all questions asked (see Parts II and IV)
 Is NEATLY handwritten or typed and uses proper writing skills (spelling, grammar, usage,
formatting, etc.)
Rules:
 You DO have to tell a teacher or peer what the letter stands for if they ask.
 You DON’T have to explain any further than that.
 You DO have to wear it all day for all classes the entire time prominently (as in not hidden by a
jacket or other piece of clothing).
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You DON’T have to wear it during weight-lifting or other PE class.
You DO have to get every teacher to sign it (including Career Center).
You DON’T have the ability to talk back or be disrespectful to an administrator or teacher about
issues with the letter.
If you refuse them or yell at them and they send you to the office, give you detention, etc., you DO
have to deal with the consequences (remember: that’s the point of civil disobedience: you may
disobey, but you must accept responsibility for you actions/choices…one of the major themes of our
novel).
Validation Chart for What’s Your Letter?
Project for The Scarlet Letter in Dr. Rosenberg’s English class
Teachers: Please sign in the box next to your class period to verify that this student
has visibly worn his or her letter for the entire class period. Thank you!
Class Period/Title
st
1
3rd
5th
7th
Student: What day did you perform this:
Date____________________
Letter day: A or B
Teacher Signature