Ms. Hamden
The Scarlet Letter
NAME:
Chapter 19
1. What does Dimmesdale confess to fearing about Pearl?
2. What happens to Pearl’s reflection in the brooke? What is the symbolic meaning of this?
3. When Pearl returns to the two, how does she act? Why does she refuse to cross the brook and go to her
mother?
4. What does she make Hester do before she will return to her? How does Hester change?
5. Where does Pearl kiss her? Why?
6. What does she ask regarding Dimmesdale? What is the message in Pearl’s words and actions?
7. What effort does Dimmesdale make to show love to his daughter? How does she react?
8. How is the brook symbolic? What tales does it know?
Chapter 20
1. Where do they decide to go?
2. The ship for Bristol is set to sail in four days – why is Dimmesdale happy about the timing? What is
significant about this?
3. Why is Dimmesdale confused about how he feels? In what ways is he not the same man?
4. What strange things does Dimmesdale want to do on his way home? How many people does he consider
“tainting” with sin?
5. What does Mistress Hibbins say to Dimmesdale? Is she right?
6. The reader knows that Dimmesdale is a sinner. Is Hawthorne condemning him for the affair and for a
“dream of happiness”?
7. Does Chillingworth know that Dimmesdale is aware of his true identity?
8. How is their conversation actually about something else (it is ironic)?
9. In what manner does Dimmesdale write his Election Sermon?
Chapter 21
1. As she arrives at the market-place, what is Hester’s attitude? What is her outer appearance?
2. How is Pearl dressed and behaving? Does this reflect Hester?
3. What does she ask as the procession passes? How does Hester respond?
4. How does this procession differ from one in Old England?
5. What unusual characters make an appearance at the event?
6. Who talks to Hester? What does he tell her?
7. What is the significance of this? What do you think Chillingworth is planning?
8. What should Hester do?
Chapter 22
1. In what manner does Dimmesdale walk in the procession? How does this make Hester feel? What do
you think she is starting to realize?
2. What does Pearl say to her mother about Dimmesdale?
3. What does Mistress Hibbins say to Hester? And to Pearl?
4. Why is the captain of the ship so taken with Pearl? What does he say to her?
5. Who creates a circle around Hester?
6. What hypocrisy does she think about at the end of the chapter? Should she be angry?
Chapter 23
1. Briefly describe Dimmesdale’s sermon. What is ironic about the subject?
2. When the procession comes out of the church afterward, where is Dimmesdale and where is Hester?
What is Hawthorne showing the reader through this?
3. What has happened to Dimmesdale’s energy? Why is this?
4. Where does he go???
5. Why does Pearl now act affectionately toward him?
6. Why does Hester stay a little away from Dimmesdale?
7. How and why does Chillingworth involve himself at this point?
8. What does the crowd think?
9. According to Chillingworth, where is the only place Dimmesdale can escape him? Why?
10. Is this solution better than running, as Dimmesdale claims? Does Hester agree? What do you think?
11. What does Dimmesdale confess?
12. What does he reveal to the world?
13. Discuss the reaction of Pearl and the spell that has been broken.
14. What are the last words Hester and Dimmesdale speak to one another? Of what does Hester hope?
15. What this the right choice? Why or why not?
Chapter 24
1. What are the various ways in which the public views the situation? What does this say about the nature
of the Puritans?
2. What happens to Chillingworth?
3. What is the message delivered in paragraph four? Do you agree with this—does the truth set you free?
4. What is Pearl’s outcome? Where do she and Hester go?
5. Why does Hester choose to return to New England? What will the scarlet letter teach her?
6. What can we assume about Pearl?
7. Who is Hester buried next to? Will they meet in Heaven? What do you think this means about the
Puritans?
8. How is the ‘A’ a part of Hester’s identity even in death? Discuss her tombstone.