Scarlet Letter
Chapters 1 & 2
TREVOR ABNEY & AUBRIE ELLIOTT
Ch. 1 “The Prison Door”

In chapter 1, “The Prison Door”, there is very little action. The author uses
this first chapter to describe the setting and introduce some major
symbols.

Men and women are standing outside of the prison. In every new colony,
the founders always and almost immediately made a place for a prison
and a cemetery, which is why the prison, particularly the prison door, looks
so old compared to the rest of the market-place. The door is heavy,
wooden and the iron work is covered in rust. But, in great contrast to the
door, there is a wild rosebush next to it, which is blooming this June. The
rosebush is hoped to symbolize a “sweet moral blossom” in this dark story
of a humanity’s sorrow.
Ch. 2 “The Market-Place”

In chapter 2, “The Market-Place”, the author first introduces us to the main
character, Hester Prynne.

A large mass of people are gathered in the market-place waiting to see
Hester Prynne. The women in the crowd are already poking fun and
gossiping about her. Then, Hester Prynne comes out of the prison door,
holding a child, and makes her way to the scaffold. The women continue
to scorn her, mostly for the decorative “A” on her chest. The “A” is being
worn as punishment, standing for “Adulterer”. As Hester stands on the
scaffold, another part of her punishment, the crowd talks about and
scorns her as she seems to embrace her sin, rather than be ashamed of it.
She begins to flashback to her childhood in England and is amazed at
how she got to where she is today, being punished for adultery.
Themes
The major theme in these two chapters is SIN. In the first chapter we see that
the founders of a new colony knew that there was going to be sin present in
the colony no matter what they did to prevent it, which is why the prison and
cemetery were usually the first institutions built. In the second chapter, Hester
Prynne is being punished for her sin but embraces it rather than being
ashamed of it.
Romantic vs Puritan Ideas
Romantic

The romantic idea present in these
two chapters is the glorification of
nature. We find this in the first chapter
when the author emphasizes the
rosebush outside the prison door and
the weeds on the cemetery.
Puritan

Two Puritan ideas present

The first is that all people are born with
sin, which is another reason why the
founder of early New England
settlements built a prison and cemetery
almost immediately in the their new
colonies.

Sin should be sought out and exposed so
that it can be punished publicly to help
the sinner and be an example for others.
Character Analysis

Hester Prynne:

Main character introduced in the second chapter.

Tall, dark hair, beautiful, “a figure of perfect elegance”

Accepts her sin as a part of herself

Came to the New World from England

Her husband has not yet made it to Boston

Has an illegitimate child
Literary Devices

Symbolism:


The rosebush outside of the prison door
symbolizes a “sweet moral blossom”
that relieves the darkening close of a
humanity’s sorrow.
Imagery:

The author uses a ton of imagery in the
first chapter especially to describe the
prison door

Connotation vs Denotation

Connotative meaning is what we think
when we hear a word or phrase

Denotative meaning is the actual
dictionary definition of a word

A lot of times they are greatly different
Quiz
1.
What are usually the first two institutions built in early New England
settlements?
2.
Why do the women criticize the “A” on Hester Prynne’s top?
3.
What is Hester Prynne holding on the scaffold?
4.
What does Hester flashback to while standing on the scaffold?
5.
According to Puritan belief, do people develop sin as they get older, or
are they born with it?
6.
Where does the second chapter take place?
GAME TIME
TRIVIAL PURSUIT
SPLIT UP INTO TWO TEAMS
RULES
Each team will have a red “A”. I will ask a question and
the first person to stand on the scaffold (the chair) with the
“A” will get to answer. The question could be about
anything. If the answer is wrong, the other team will have
10 seconds to give an answer. The team with the most
questions answered correctly will be given smarties. The
team that lost will receive dum-dums.
1. What wood
was the prison
door made out
of?
OAK
2. The grass plot
in front of the
prison door was
NOT overgrown
with…
A.
BURDOCK
B.
PIG WEED
C.
CRABGRASS
D.
APPLE-PERU
3. What kind of
flowers grew on
the rose-bush?
ROSES
4. How old was
Hester Prynne’s
child in the
second
chapter?
3 MONTHS
5. Who won this
years Super
Bowl?
SEATTLE
SEAHAWKS
6. Why did
Hester Prynne’s
child start crying
on the scaffold?
a.
THE CROWD WAS
TOO LOUD
b.
SHE NEEDED A NEW
DIAPER
c.
SHE WAS HUNGRY
d.
HESTER SQUEEZED
HER TOO TIGHTLY
7. How long
does Hester
Prynne have to
wear the “A” on
her bosom?
HER ENTIRE LIFE
8. What color
was the “A”
outlined in?
GOLD
9.What color
hair did Hester’s
dad have?
A.
BROWN
B.
NONE, HE WAS BALD
C.
WHITE
D.
BLACK
10. Where are
the winter
Olympics being
held?
SOCHI, RUSSIA