Read the poem “Childhood is a
Kingdom Where Nobody Dies” and
respond to the following questions:
• Does the poem appear to be more about childhood or
about loss? Explain with evidence from the text.
• How does the poet use tone and voice to develop our
understanding of the situation throughout the
poem? How much does the tone shift from beginning to
the end of the poem? Give examples to support your
answer.
• Use the poem’s argument as a framework for discussing
the Scarlet Letter. What similar theme is explored in the
opening chapter?
• In what ways would you define childhood and
maturity? What experiences are necessary in your own
life to reach adulthood?
“Mood to Burn Bridges”
• In what ways is the speaker in this song similar to
Hester? In what ways is she different? Give evidence.
• How does the speaker’s tone underscore the hypocrisy
of the town around her? In what ways is this similar to
the Puritan community within the Scarlet Letter? Give
evidence from both texts.
• In what ways does the media change the way the story
is told? Which did you personally find more
engaging? Why? Pick out specific elements that
influenced you and discuss their influence.
• Have you ever felt that you were called out on something
that everyone else was getting away with? How would
such a situation influence your ability to build
relationships with others? Would you be affected the
same way the speaker and Hester were?
Read the passage from page 31
•
“Perhaps there was a more real torture in her first unattended footsteps
from the threshold of the prison, than even in the procession and spectacle
that have been described, where she was made the common infamy, at
which all mankind was summoned to point its finger. Then, she 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 lurid triumph. It was, moreover, a separate and insulated event, to occur
but once in her lifetime, and to meet which, therefore, reckless of economy,
she might call up the vital strength that would have sufficed for many quiet
years. The very law that condemned her—a giant of stern features, but with
vigor to support, as well as to annihilate, in his iron arm—had held her up,
through the terrible ordeal of her ignominy. But now, with this unattended
walk from her prison-door, began the daily custom, and she must either
sustain and carry it forward by the ordinary resources of her nature, or sink
beneath it. She could no longer borrow from the future, to help her through
the present grief. To-morrow would bring its own trial with it; so would the
next day, and so would the next; each its own trial, and yet the very same
that was now so unutterably grievous to be borne.”
Questions over the passage
• Why is the experience of being released from
prison in some ways harder for Hester than
being publicly shamed?
• How does the moment add to Hester’s character
and our sympathy for Hester? Provide
evidence.
• Have you ever had an experience which you
normally would have doubted your ability to
perform, but by nature of its being short, you
found you could do it? Explain how time and
timing influence your ability to perform difficult
tasks.
Beowulf, lines 1931-1962
• What kind of a leader is Queen Modthryth? How
does she relate to Anglo-Saxon characteristics
of leadership? Give evidence from the text
(include specific line numbers!)
• Why does the book interrupt the description of
Hygelac and his wife Hygd to talk about Queen
Modthryth? What does it add to the story since
it’s not part of the plot?
• What lesson did the poet expect us to take from
the story of Queen Modthryth? Give evidence
from the text.
Beowulf
• Beowulf tell his king Hygelac about his trip
to save the Danes. What does his telling
of the story show about him? How does he
talk about his actions? How does he talk
about the Danes?
• What’s going on with the Heathobards?
What does this mean for the Danes?
What do you know about Dragons?
• What does a dragon look and act like?
• What do dragons represent in stories?
• What are some books/movies/songs with
dragons in them?
Look at page 77-78
• How does the people’s opinion of Chillingworth change
over time? What influences this change?
• List the symbols associated with Chillingworth here.
How do the people interpret them?
• How accurate are popular opinions of people? How well
can a crowd really know someone?
• How does popular opinion influence our understanding
of an event or person? Is it easier or harder to make a
fair judgment if we hear the popular opinion first?
• Give a time when you were given strong opinions before
an experience (talking about a movie before you saw it,
talking about a person before you met him or her, etc.)
How did it influence your ability to come to form your
own opinions?
Dimmesdale
• Make a moral judgment about Dimmesdale. Is
he good or bad? Do you like him or not? Is he
sympathetic or not? Does he deserve what’s
happening to him?
• Take notes on the evidence for or against
Dimmesdale in chapters X-XI.
• Write a thesis arguing your opinion of
Dimmesdale. Then, complete the introductory
paragraph in which you argue whether or not
Dimmesdale is a good person. Afterwards,
outline the evidence you would use if you were
to extend this into a full essay.
Key Passages
• Write the line numbers
• Summarize the passage
• Tell its significance to the poem and our
study (may include theme, symbol,
characterization, plot development,
cultural significance, poetic style, etc)
• Create an image that captures the idea of
the passage.
Terms
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Kenning
Alliteration
Litotes (understatement)
Mead hall
Thane
Scop
Lay
Characters
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Beowulf
Hrothgar
Unferth
Wiglaf
Hygelac
Wealtheow
Hygd
Monsters
• Grendel
• Grendel’s mother
• Dragon
Characteristics of
heroism/leadership
•
•
•
•
Generosity
Brave
Capable in battle
Loyal
Themes
•
•
•
•
The Dangers of Pride
The Dangers of Greed
Heroism through Loyalty
Loss and its effect
Hester and Dimmesdale
• Hester and Dimmesdale both committed the same sin,
but respond to it very differently. How are their
consequences different? How is their response to guilt
different? How is their self-image different?
• If they could somehow have ended up in opposite
positions, with Dimmesdale held responsible and Hester
let off without anyone knowing, how would the story have
been different? How would their personalities have fit
those opposite roles?
• Watch the clip from the series CTRL. Lizzie and Stuart
have different opinions about past mistakes. How do
their ideas apply to Hester and Dimmesdale? Who do
you side with, Lizzie or Stuart?
Look at page 12-13 of Faust.
• How is Faust characterized on these pages? What traits
does he seem to have? How do you know?
• Faust is an early and excellent example of
Romanticism. Given what you know about Romanticism,
what characteristics of Romantic literature do you see on
these pages? Give examples.
• How was Faust’s problem in these pages hinted at in the
prologue in heaven? Compare Mephisto’s description of
Faust on page 10 to what we actually see of Faust on
these pages. Give evidence.
• First impressions are important. How do you feel about
the story of Faust based upon your first impressions of
him?
Look at the conversations on
pages 24-25.
• List as many topics of conversation as you see.
• List as many types of people that you see.
• Why would Goethe interrupt the progress of his story for
two and a half pages of irrelevant dialogue? What is the
significance of this portion of the scene? What does it
accomplish in the scope of the story?
• Consider what kinds of conversations you have around
the lunch table or in the halls. What purpose do most of
those conversations have? What do they reveal about
you and your friends? Pick a few things you’ve talked
about to someone in the last few days and discuss what
it reveals about your goals and priorities in life, even if
they conversation was relatively simple or asinine (ie.
Your discussion of the recent VMAs or a game.)
Into the Woods
• There are many symbols in these chapters. What does
the woods represent? What does the sunlight
represent? What does the brook represent?
• How does the setting influence the action in these
chapters? What would happen differently if Hester and
Dimmesdale were to meet in the town or another
location?
• Why does nature seem important to Romantic literature?
What does Hawthorne see in nature? What did
Americans see in nature?
• What percentage of your decisions are based upon your
environment? How much are you influenced by your
surroundings? What kind of actions would you perform
anywhere, no matter the surroundings?
Characterization
• What are the normal ways we understand a
character in a book?
• If you were writing a story, how would you
convey the following character traits? Show the
person; don’t just tell.
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Grumpy
Air-headed
Hopeful
Proud
Lazy
Angry
Fun-loving