Name: ___________________________________ Date: ______________________Class: ______________
The Scarlet Letter By: Nathaniel Hawthorne
Chapters 1-3 Analysis Questions & Assignment
Please answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper. You should be writing at least 3 or 4
sentences for most questions AND using textual evidence/references. Hold on to these questions because you
will be using them throughout our unit on The Scarlet Letter.
A sample question might read: Describe how the word utopia is used in chapter one of the book.
A sample answer might read: The word “utopia” refers to a place of perfection. Page 1 of The Scarlet Letter
uses the word utopia as reference to a Puritanical colony. The founders of the colonies believed that the society
they were setting up would have characteristics of a utopia and would be better than the society they had
experienced in England.
Chapter 1
1. What are two of the first projects the founders work on in their new colony?
2. Why do you think they focused on these projects above others?
Chapter 2
1. In the second chapter, the narrator refers to the Puritans as “a people amongst whom religion and law
were almost identical.” What does this mean?
2. How is the punishment the men give Hester Prynne different from the punishment the women want for
Hester? Who do you agree with? Explain what Hester’s punishment is.
3. Why do you think Hester made her scarlet letter so fancy and embellished?
Chapter 3
1. The narrator refers to Hester as a “living sermon against sin.” What do you think he means by this?
2. Why won’t Hester tell her community who her partner was?
3. When women commit adultery today, how are they treated? How does this compare and contrast with
the way Hester is treated?
Section I Assignment
You may choose one of the following tasks to be completed and turned in with the questions from the first three
chapters. For each choice, you must provide a paragraph explaining how your piece is textually accurate.
1. Write a poem from the perspective of Hester Prynne. You will need to turn in a rough draft with
comments and suggestions from a peer, as well as the revised poem.
2. Research a famous woman who committed adultery. Write a one page report summarizing her story and
the “punishment” or consequences that followed. Compare the punishment to that of Hester Prynne.
3. Write a news article about the public shaming of Hester Prynne. Include factual information about the
event and keep a non-biased tone. Add an image to this article for high marks. This may be a hand
drawn or computer generated.