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The Scarlet Letter Thematic Questions for Group
Guilt vs. Innocence
1. Within your novel, what signs of guilt and true ‘innocence’ do we see? What can
you infer about the Puritan and Romantic views on guilt and innocence?
2. How does the Puritan view of sin impact the novel’s characters and themes?
3. Based on your analysis of your reading, what is Hawthorne trying to prove with
this motif?
4. How are transcendental ideals embodied in this motif? What other transcendental
works would support this idea? How?
Nature & Romanticism
1. Within in your novel, which characters epitomize Natural elements? What does
Nature symbolize? How does the woods/Nature affect them?
2. Nature plays a large role in the characters revealing their true selves. How does this
go against Puritan values?
3. Based on your analysis of your reading, what was Hawthorne’s purpose of
including nature in his story line?
4. How are transcendental ideals embodied in this motif? What other transcendental
works would support this idea? How?
Fate vs. Free Will
1. How does the free will and fate contradict itself in the novel? What character
exemplifies this idea of free will?
2. How does the idea of free will support the romanticism elements in this novel?
3. How does predestination (fate) and characters free will help to portray the cultural
values in the novel? Which do you believe is better?
4. How is this motif related to the novel and transcendentalism? Support the
connection with textual evidence.
Public vs. Private personas
1. Within your novel what signs of public and private personas to do we see? What
can you infer about the cultural values of Puritans based off of characters’
behavior?
2. Based on characterization, how do you think characters will deal with their private
and public personas? What will happen or be revealed?
3. Based on your analysis of your reading, what specific ideas is Hawthorne trying to
illuminate through the motif of public vs. private persona?
4. How are transcendental ideals embodied in this motif? What other transcendental
works would support this idea? How?
Modern Day Connections
1. What modern day connections can you make to these characters or situations?
2. How does this story show Romanticism beliefs? What do you think Hawthorne
proved?
3. Do you think there are cultural or ideals that are hypocritical today? What do you
think how does it tie into the novel or romantic thinking?
•
•
•
•

The Scarlet Letter Thematic Questions for Group
Guilt vs. Innocence
1. Within your novel, what signs of guilt and true ‘innocence’ do we see? What can
you infer about the Puritan and Romantic views on guilt and innocence?
2. How does the Puritan view of sin impact the novel’s characters and themes?
3. Based on your analysis of your reading, what is Hawthorne trying to prove with
this motif?
4. How are transcendental ideals embodied in this motif? What other transcendental
works would support this idea? How?
Nature & Romanticism
1. Within in your novel, which characters epitomize Natural elements? What does
Nature symbolize? How does the woods/Nature affect them?
2. Nature plays a large role in the characters revealing their true selves. How does this
go against Puritan values?
3. Based on your analysis of your reading, what was Hawthorne’s purpose of
including nature in his story line?
4. How are transcendental ideals embodied in this motif? What other transcendental
works would support this idea? How?
Fate vs. Free Will
1. How does the free will and fate contradict itself in the novel? What character
exemplifies this idea of free will?
2. How does the idea of free will support the romanticism elements in this novel?
3. How does predestination (fate) and characters free will help to portray the cultural
values in the novel? Which do you believe is better?
4. How is this motif related to the novel and transcendentalism? Support the
connection with textual evidence.
Public vs. Private personas
1. Within your novel what signs of public and private personas to do we see? What
can you infer about the cultural values of Puritans based off of characters’
behavior?
2. Based on characterization, how do you think characters will deal with their private
and public personas? What will happen or be revealed?
3. Based on your analysis of your reading, what specific ideas is Hawthorne trying to
illuminate through the motif of public vs. private persona?
4. How are transcendental ideals embodied in this motif? What other transcendental
works would support this idea? How?
Modern Day Connections
1. What modern day connections can you make to these characters or situations?
2. How does this story show Romanticism beliefs? What do you think Hawthorne
proved?
3. Do you think there are cultural or ideals that are hypocritical today? What do you
think how does it tie into the novel or romantic thinking?