The Scarlet Letter
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Is the Scarlet letter relevant today?
What themes in the scarlet Letter can
we learn from?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N
R3BVN8ofk8
Song
Now we will begin looking at
the text..
• Silently, re-read The Custom House.
• Prepare to answer the following questions:
AP-Type Questions:
• How would you describe Hawthorne’s attitude toward
his former job and fellow workers? Why do you think
so? (This is asking for TONE and evidence supporting
your inference.)
• In this essay, Hawthorne addresses the reader
directly. What effect does he create with this manner?
• What effect does the detailed description of the scarlet
letter have on you?
“The Prison Door”
Close Reading Practice
1. Read the passage twice.
2. Highlight in one color all instances of diction
both connotative and denotative
3. Highlight in a second color all instances of
detail- extra facts like colors, numbers,
descriptions
4. Highlight in a third color imagery- phrases that
appeal to your senses
5. Highlight in a fourth color interesting/ unique
syntax (Sentence structure)
6. Choose two to three words to describe the
tone.
What do these colors tell us?
What happens to the colors as we move
from sentence to sentence?
What images are you using? What tone do
these images set?
What TONE is Hawthorne setting about the
Puritans?
Do you think our collective image as
Americans has been influenced by this
book?
A brief look at17th
Century Culture
1. Are you surprised by how the Puritans lived?
2. Do you think Hawthorne is presenting an accurate
picture in his novel?
3. How does looking at the culture help us understand the
Puritans better?
4. Think about Anne Bradstreet’s poem “Upon the
Burning of Our House”. How does looking at the
material culture of the 17th century change solidify our
understanding of this poem?