The Scarlet Letter

Introduction

READING CHECK

1. What retired military officer worked with Nathaniel Hawthorne at the Custom House and stared into space frequently?

Answer: The Collector

2. What item does Hawthorne find in the Custom House along with papers naming Hester Prynne?

Answer: red fabric in the shape of the letter A

3. From what profession does Hawthorne say he was taking a break when he became Custom House overseer in 1846?

Answer: writing

QUIZ

1. Which of these represents the clearest connection between the author’s introductory information in “The Custom House” and the actual story of The Scarlet Letter?

A) The presence of a young, ethereal girl

B) The first-person viewpoint

C) The shared location of Salem

D) The narrator’s distractibility and shame

2. Which of these best describes Hawthorne’s tone when discussing his co-workers at the Custom House?

A) Good-humored

B) Bitter

C) Appreciative

D) Furious

3. What part of his family history in Salem shames Hawthorne?

4. Inspired with a story idea, Hawthorne could not write it for what reason?

QUIZ ANSWERS

1, C. Salem, Massachusetts is the setting of The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne writes in “The Custom House” introduction that he served as overseer in the Salem Custom House starting in 1846.

2. A. While the overall mood of his experience with employment in the Custom House is somewhat frustrating and anxious, Hawthorne’s tone toward his co-workers is generally good-humored.

3. Hawthorne is ashamed that his ancestor was a judge during the Salem witch trials.

4. He could not write because his work at the Custom House was too distracting.

Chapters 1-4

READING CHECK

1. The opening scene of the novel is set in what town and colony?

Answer: Salem, Massachusetts

2. Who is named in Chapter 1 as having gone to the prison formerly?

Answer: Anne Hutchinson

3. Hester has adorned the red ‘A’ in what way?

Answer: With gold thread

Discussion Suggestion: Use the above question to introduce discussion on Hawthorne’s visual imagery as Hester leaves the prison. Introduce or review the literary device juxtaposition with regard to the red ‘A’ and other visual images in the scene.

4. A character in what job/role leads Hester through the crowd when she leaves the prison?

Answer: the beadle

5. Hester grew up in what country?

Answer: England

6. Which character wants Dimmesdale to encourage Hester to name the infant’s father?

Answer: John Wilson

7. Hester lived in what city with her husband before they traveled separately to New England?

Answer: Amsterdam

8. Which character treats the infant and Hester for agitation once back inside the prison?

Answer: Chillingworth

9. Hester recognizes her husband after their long separation when she is standing where?

Answer: on the scaffold

10. Hester fears her husband might do what to the infant?

Answer: poison her

QUIZ

1. Besides wearing the scarlet letter, what is Hester’s punishment in the first scene?

A) Remaining in the stocks for a half-day

B) Standing on the scaffolding for three hours

C) Cleaning the prison quarters

D) Paying a harsh fine

2. What promise does Chillingworth elicit from Hester?

A) To tell the identity of the child’s father

B) To rejoin him in marriage within the year

C) To someday tell the child that he (Chillingworth) is her father

D) To keep his identity secret

3. Which one of these themes is NOT introduced before Hester makes the trip to the Governor’s mansion?

A) The dichotomy between assumed, public identity and secret, inner, true identity

B) The Puritans’ obligatory efforts to root out sin

C) The complexity of assigning blame and fault

D) The attempt toward reconciliation and mutual respect

4. Of these, how does Dimmesdale try to get Hester to reveal the infant’s father’s name?

A) Telling her it would be for the man’s own good

B) Threatening her with another night in the prison

C) Asking her to go home and prayerfully reflect on it

D) Commanding her repeatedly to do so

5. Of these, who demonstrates mercy and empathy for Hester?

A) Reverend Wilson

B ) The man who tells Chillingworth Hester’s name

C) A young mother in the crowd

D) Governor Bellingham

6. What flower grows outside the prison door, and what does it represent, according to the narrator?

7. How do most of the women outside the prison feel about Hester’s punishment?

8. What is Hester’s outward demeanor when she leaves the prison?

QUIZ ANSWERS

1. B. Hester must hold infant Pearl while standing on the scaffold in view of the townspeople for three hours.

2. D. Chillingworth asks Hester to not reveal his identity to anyone, saying he will hurt her lover or his good name if she does.

3. D. There is no indication of reconciliation between main characters in the opening chapters and little to no demonstration of respect.

4. A. Dimmesdale tries to convince Hester that she can help the sinful man by naming him and giving him the chance to repent.

5. C. Though most of the townswomen are judgmental and unkind with their comments, one woman, a young mother, is compassionate toward Hester in her remarks.

6. A rose(bush); a bit of hope or brightness in the form of morals within this dark story

7. They think her punishment should be worse.

8. She blushes but is proud and smiling.

Chapters 5-8

READING CHECK

1. In what line of work does Hester make her living?

Answer: Seamstress

2. Pearl shows a strange fascination from a very young age with what object?

Answer: Hester’s scarlet letter A

3. Hester goes to the mansion to deliver a pair of gloves to whom?

Answer: Governor Bellingham

4. In what colors does Hester dress Pearl on the day they deliver the gloves?

Answer: red and gold

Discussion Suggestion: Use the above question to jumpstart a lesson or discussion on color symbolism, sensory imagery, indirect characterization, or juxtaposition.

5. At the mansion, what object does Pearl enjoy seeing, but alarms Hester?

Answer: The suit of armor

6. Name two of three characters who accompany the Governor at the mansion.

Answer: Roger Chillingworth, Arthur Dimmesdale, John Wilson

7. When asked where she came from in a test of her catechism, what does Pearl answer?

Answer: (she was plucked from) a rosebush

8. Which character thinks the revelation of the identity of Pearl’s father should be left to God?

Answer: John Wilson

9. According to local legend, after her visit to the mansion, Hester converses with whom about a witches’ coven?

Answer: Mistress Hibbins

10. According to local legend, to whom does Hester claim she would have pledged herself had Pearl been taken from her?

Answer: The “Black Man”

QUIZ

1. Hester takes on work suited to each of the following events except:

A) Funerals

B) Military displays

C) Government offices

D) Bridal garb

2. What is Hester’s true motivation for visiting the Governor at the mansion?

A) Fear that Pearl might be taken from her

B) Anger that he is late with payment for her work

C) Kindness in that she is donating clothing to the poor

D) Appreciation that he might allow the removal of the letter

3. What reason is suggested by the narrator to explain why Hester elects to stay near Salem?

A) She has no money to start over elsewhere

B) Women with infants should not travel

C) Past events and sin compel her to remain

D) She hopes to reconcile with Pearl’s father

4. In her actions, Pearl is most like which of these descriptions?

A) A well-mannered princess                             

B) A mischievous sprite

C) A sad fairy

D) A hard-working peasant

5. Of these, how is Pearl happiest and most comfortable?

A) Helping Hester prepare meals

B) In the woods or meadow

C) In church singing

D) Reading a book

6. What does Pearl do when the children throw mud at her?

Discussion Suggestion: Use the above question to jumpstart a lesson or discussion on how this incident represents Pearl’s interactions with peers, generally. Where might she have gleaned the defiance she shows in reaction to their cruelty?

7. What does Hester see reflected in the suit of armor at the mansion that upsets her?

8. What reason does Dimmesdale give for believing Pearl should stay with Hester?

QUIZ ANSWERS

1. D. Hester will not sew bridal veils.

2. A. Hester has heard there is talk of giving Pearl to another family so that she might be raised in a purer environment; Hester is fearful these rumors are true and wants to address them directly.

3. C. The “great and marked event” of her adultery has tied her so completely to Salem that it is unthinkable to leave.

4. B. Though many in Salem believe Pearl was fathered by a demon, she demonstrates behavior that is more mischievous and ornery than evil. She seems to lack sadness. She is depicted as impish and sprite-like in these chapters.

5. B. Pearl is more comfortable in the natural world than other settings, which contributes to her depiction as an odd child whose behavior and appearance causes townspeople to question her parentage.

6. She chases after them to scare them away. She does not have friends her own age.

7. She sees both her scarlet letter A and Pearl’s facial expression magnified and distorted.

8. Pearl reminds Hester daily of her sin, and gives Hester a chance to raise a daughter with strong morals.

Chapters 9-12

READING CHECK

1. Which character is rumored to know witchcraft from Native Americans?

Answer: Chillingworth

2. Which character is considered a leech (physician)?

Answer: Chillingworth

Discussion Suggestion: Prompted by the question above, have students briefly research the etymology of the word leech dating back to medieval times and to note various definitions. Use students’ findings to initiate discussion of Hawthorne’s word choice in describing Chillingworth’s traits and actions in these chapters; introduce or review the literary device connotation in your discussion.

3. When Dimmesdale is on the scaffold late at night, who is the first to notice him and respond?

Answer: Pearl

4. Hester was out late attending which deathbed character?

Answer: Governor Winthrop

5. How do many in town interpret the strange A in the sky?

Answer: As an angel

6. On the scaffold at night, who does a terrified Dimmesdale not recognize?

Answer: Chillingworth

7. The sexton returns what object to Dimmesdale the morning after the comet appears?

Answer: his glove

8. Which character sees the true nature of Chillingworth by the light of the comet?

Answer: Dimmesdale

9. While Dimmesdale is on the scaffold at night, to whom does he imagine he calls out but really does not?

Answer: John WIlson

10. In his guilt-haunted dream, Dimmesdale sees Hester pointing at what?

Answer: His chest.

QUIZ

1. Over time, in what way does some townspeople’s view of Chillingworth change?

A) From God-sent caretaker to tormenting demon

B) From disreputable physician to empathetic counselor

C) From wealthy traveler to mystical alchemist

D) From anonymous benefactor to named patron

2. Dimmesdale attempts to assuage himself of his guilt through each of the following methods except:

A) Scourging himself

B) Fasting

C) All-night vigils

D) Donating his salary

3. How does the sexton explain the glove on the scaffold?

A) He thinks the Devil tried to disgrace the minister.

B) He knows Dimmesdale was standing there at night.

C) He believes it is a sign that Winthrop went to Heaven.

D) He suspects Dimmesdale stole it from Bellingham.

4. How can Pearl’s tone to Dimmesdale while on the scaffold the night the comet appears best be characterized?

A) Light-hearted and playful

B) Questioning and scolding

C) Irritated and angry

D) Sad and mournful

5. Dimmesdale must constantly contribute to his sin by keeping it secret; otherwise, his public image as a minister would be destroyed. This is an example of which literary device?

A) Metaphor

B) Figurative language

C) Irony

D) Anachronism

6. The night of the comet, what does Pearl ask of Dimmesdale when she, he, and Hester stand on the scaffold together, and how does he respond?

7. When Dimmesdale is on the scaffold the night the comet appears, what excuse does Chillingworth offer for being out so late?

8. What do the flowers from the man’s grave mean to Chillingworth?

QUIZ ANSWERS

1. A. Some people in Salem, while at first happy that Chillingworth, a leech, is tending to their dear minister, later grow concerned about Chillingworth’s behaviors and think of him as a tormenting demon.

2. D. Dimmesdale tries to repent for his sin through fasting, staying up all night, and self-flagellation. He also pours time into his sermons and tries to confess publicly through them but cannot.

3. A. The sexton returns the glove to Dimmesdale and tells him the Devil is attempting to disgrace him (Dimmesdale).

4. B. Pearl first asks Dimmesdale if he will stand on the scaffold with her and her mother the next day, and when he says no, she speaks in a scolding and reproachful tone.

5. C. It is ironic that Dimmesdale must add to his sinfulness through secrecy in order to remain an accepted minister, whom many assume to be (close to) sin-free.

6. She asks if he will stand with her and Hester the next day (when others will see them), and he says he will not.

7. He claims he was at Governor Winthrop’s.

8. He associates them with the secrets the man took to the grave with him. He states the man should have confessed the secrets while alive.

Chapters 13-16

READING CHECK

1. What is the number of years that have passed since Hester’s adultery?

Answer: 7

2. Near the shoreline, what does Chillingworth say he has done regarding Hester’s scarlet letter?

Answer: asked magistrates to allow her to remove it

3. As Hester and Chillingworth talk near the shore, Pearl fashions and wears a letter A made of what?

Answer: seaweed

4. When Pearl asks Hester why she wears the letter, Hester claims she wears it for what reason?

Answer: decoration (as an ornament)

5. Hester waits for Dimmesdale in order to speak with him privately in what setting?

Answer: the forest

6. As Hester waits to encounter Dimmesdale, Pearl reveals she has heard about the Black Man from whom?

Answer: Mistress Hibbins

7. The scarlet letter changes meaning for the townspeople over time; it comes to mean that Hester is what adjective?

Answer: able

8. Near the shoreline, Pearl feels grief and regret when she does what?

Answer: throws a rock and it hits a seabird

Discussion Suggestion: Use the above question to introduce discussion or a lesson on Pearl’s close association with nature imagery in the forest and shoreline scenes. How do her actions and reactions reveal her traits and emotions? Compare and contrast Pearl’s behavior in these scenes to Pearl’s behavior at the Governor’s mansion.

9. In the woods, what is associated with sadness and grief?

Answer: the brook/stream (or its sound)

10. As she waits to encounter Dimmesdale, whom does Hester tell Pearl marked her with the scarlet letter?

Answer: the Black Man

QUIZ

1. Hester has ample time to ponder human interaction over the years. In particular, she is saddened to think that no improvement or change can help which group?

A) Criminals

B) Clergy

C) The poor

D) Women

2. When Hester asks Chillingworth to stop tormenting Dimmesdale, Chillingworth provides what response?

A) He intends to leave Salem soon

B) He intends to reveal Dimmesdale’s sin publicly

C) He cannot stop because fate is leading him

D) He considers himself avenged and wants only to help heal Dimmesdale

3. Hester asks Pearl near the shoreline if she understands what Hester’s A means. What is Pearl’s response?

A) Hester is being punished for adultery

B) Hester wears it for the same reason Dimmesdale clutches his heart

C) Hester is being punished for an unknown crime

D) Hester uses its embroidery to show her skills to potential customers

4. What concept do the views and emotions of both Hester and Pearl increasingly symbolize?

A) Unacceptance of the societal norms of the day

B) Wild and blatant disregard for church law

C) Forgiveness of sins and penitence

D) Consideration for those less fortunate

5. In the forest, what does Hester tell Pearl about her doings with the “Black Man”?

A) That she signed his book in her blood

B) That she saw him offer an iron pen to others

C) That she has never seen him

D) That she met him once

6. Hester meets Chillingworth on the shoreline. How does Hester respond to what he mentions regarding the scarlet letter?

7. Before Hester and Chillingworth part ways on the shoreline, he tells her he will not stop tormenting Dimmesdale. What does Hester tell him she intends to do in response?

8. Pearl encounters Dimmesdale in the forest as Hester waits to speak with him. What does Pearl ask him on her way to play?

QUIZ ANSWERS

1. D. Hester grows to believe that a woman’s existence is hard to accept with little chance of change.

2. C. Chillingworth refuses to heed Hester’s requests to leave Dimmesdale alone and claims he cannot change his path because fate guides him.

3. B. Pearl shows that she recognizes the strong parallel between the ways in which Hester and Dimmesdale are each marked for their sin, but she does not know why and proceeds to ask Hester repeatedly.

4. A. Hester cannot accept that her sin was somehow worse than the way women are treated in Puritan society. Pearl communes with nature, seen especially in the scenes near the shore and in the woods, feeling far more comfortable outside of society’s laws than within them.

5. D. Hester tells Pearl that she met the Black Man once, and that he marked her with the scarlet letter.

6. She tells him that the magistrates don’t have the authority to remove it.

7. Hester says she’ll tell Dimmesdale who Chillingworth really is (her husband)

8. She asks him if the Black Man “marked” his chest where he clutches it.

Chapters 17-20

READING CHECK

1. Wondering if they are in the afterlife instead of the forest, Hester and Dimmesdale do what to prove they still live?

Answer: clasp hands

2. True or False: Dimmesdale guesses that Chillingworth is Hester’s husband before she tells him so.

Answer: False

3. In the forest, Pearl screams and points, hysterical because she sees what?

Answer: Hester without the scarlet A

4. What Salem event occurs three days after Dimmesdale converses with Hester in the forest?

Answer: Election Day

5. To what place do Hester and Dimmesdale plan to sail four days after they speak in the forest?

Answer: Bristol (England)

6. In the forest conversation between Hester and Dimmesdale, who broaches the possibility of leaving Salem?

Answer: Hester

7. On his way home from the forest, Dimmesdale feels an urge to teach a group of children what?

Answer: swear words

Discussion Suggestion: Use the above question to initiate discussion on Dimmesdale’s apparent rejection of piety in and after the forest scene with Hester. Is Hawthorne showing Dimmesdale’s human and humble side, or proving his inclination toward sinful behavior? What might the author be suggesting about society in general through Dimmesdale’s desires? Introduce or review the literary term irony in considering Dimmesdale’s actions and his position in the town.

8. After the forest scene, of Chillingworth and Mistress Hibbins, whom does Dimmesdale encounter first?

Answer: Mistress Hibbins

9. Following the forest scene, Dimmesdale wants to question the existence of the afterlife to whom?

Answer: a new widow

10. True or False: Pearl kisses the scarlet letter in the forest.

Answer: True

QUIZ

1. As Dimmesdale and Hester meet in the woods, the reader learns that Dimmesdale worries about all of the following except:

A) That Pearl will not like him

B) That others see the physical resemblance between Pearl and him

C) That he has no money to leave Salem

D) That he and Hester will be defying societal norms if they leave Salem together

2. In their forest conversation, regarding their affair, which of these does Dimmesdale tell Hester?

A) They should continue punishing themselves by never speaking again

B) Their actions were sinful, but not as bad as other sins

C) They should feel no shame or pain because they acted in true love

D) They must atone for their sin through charity to the church and town

3. In the forest conversation with Dimmesdale, which of these actions does Hester take?

A) Reassures Dimmesdale that Pearl will love him

B) Warns Dimmesdale that Pearl does not speak much

C) Convinces Dimmesdale to kiss her before Pearl discovers them

D) Tells Dimmesdale she has saved money for traveling elsewhere

4. When Dimmesdale encounters Mistress Hibbins after speaking with Hester in the forest, which of these actions does Mistress Hibbins take?

A) Seeks forgiveness for sins committed the last evening

B) Accuses Dimmesdale of being an unworthy minister

C) Tells Dimmesdale she saw Hester and hm together

D) Asks if he made a deal with the Devil

5. Signs that foreshadow that Dimmesdale’s plan to leave Salem with Hester will not come to fruition include each of the following except:

A) He is possessed by strange urges to say wicked things to passersby

B) He thinks Pearl rejects his presence

C) He cannot agree to claim Hester and Pearl publicly as family

D) He dismisses Chillingworth and rejects his continued offers of help

6. In the forest, what two actions does Hester take as soon and she and Dimmesdale agree to leave Salem together?

7. After Dimmesdale kisses Pearl on the forehead in the forest, what action does Pearl take?

8. After his conversation with Hester in the forest and his dismissal of Chillingworth’s medical care, what action does Dimmesdale take?

QUIZ ANSWERS

1. C. Neither Dimmesdale nor the narrator mention any money concerns throughout the scene in the woods.

2. B. Dimmesdale tells Hester that they are “not the worst sinners in the world” (Chapter 17, Page 170).

3. A. Dimmesdale broods that he has little connection with children. Hester reassures him that Pearl will love him, but warns him against showing strong emotions in front of Pearl.

4. D. Dimmesdale tells Mistress Hibbins he did not make a deal with the Devil when she asks, but her question puts him even more on edge.

5. D. Rejecting Chillingworth promotes the idea of Hester and Dimmesdale leaving together; the other choices ominously associate the decision to leave with conflict, sin, and secrets.

6. Hester lets her hair down and takes off her letter.

7. Pearl washes her forehead in the brook.

8. Dimmesdale passionately writes a sermon (for Election Day).

Chapters 21-24

READING CHECK

1. Who tells Hester that Chillingworth will be a passenger on the trip to Bristol?

Answer: The ship’s captain

2. Mistress Hibbins indicates she can see people’s sins thanks to what?

Answer: her own dealings with the Devil

Discussion Suggestion: Use the above question to discuss and review the theme of sinful versus virtuous behavior in the book. Consider Mistress Hibbins and other secondary characters as well as main characters. Identify characters whose sinful or virtuous behavior is ironic with regard to the way others perceive them.

3. The procession and sermon take place on what named day of celebration in Salem?

Answer: Election Day

4. What does Pearl do while Dimmesdale delivers his sermon?

Answer: plays and run in the marketplace; also talks with the ship’s captain

5. Outside the meeting house, the tone of the congregation’s first reaction to Dimmesdale after the procession and sermon can be described how?

Answer: cheering and congratulatory

6. Who attempts to restrain Dimmesdale and prevent his climb to the scaffold after the procession and sermon?

Answer: Chillingworth

7. Chillingworth dies about how long after Dimmesdale?

Answer: less than a year

8. After Dimmesdale dies, Hester and Pearl leave Salem for what continent?

Answer: Europe

9. Hester is buried in what location?

Answer: Salem, next to Dimmesdale

10. How does Hester defy the magistrates when she returns later in her life to Salem?

Answer: She continues to wear her scarlet letter though she does not have to.

QUIZ

1. When Hester and Pearl talk with Mistress Hibbins on Election Day, what topic piques Pearl’s interest and results in Mistress Hibbins’s invitation to Pearl to fly on her broomstick?

A) Hester’s scarlet letter

B) Dimmesdale’s habit of covering his heart

C) Chillingworth’s plan to go to Europe

D) Pearl’s warning to send a storm after the ship

2. Why is her scarlet letter especially burdensome to Hester on the day of the procession?

A) Strangers stare at her and make comments

B) She cannot decide if she should continue wearing it in Europe

C) Pearl will not stop asking about its significance

D) Mistress Hibbins accuses her of removing it in the forest

3. Which of these does Hester note as Dimmesdale moves past her in the procession before his sermon?

A) He looks exhausted, sick, and weak

B) He tries to communicate an idea to her silently

C) He appears distracted and lacks focus

D) He smiles nervously at Pearl and her

4. Which of the following is NOT offered as a possible witness reaction to Dimmesdale’s revelation on the scaffold?

A) He bears a brand that might be self-inflicted

B) His chest is unmarked

C) He is marked supernaturally

D) He shows a black spot representing sin

5. After Dimmesdale’s death, Pearl’s more supernatural-like qualities fade and she gains human qualities. How is this notion best supported?

A) She gains financial wealth and has a family

B) She becomes kind and loving to Hester

C) She kisses Chillingworth and weeps in his embrace

D) She returns to Salem to help the poor as Hester had

6. When Hester returns to Salem, she becomes a local sage of advice and knowledge on what topic? What opinions on this topic does she propose?

7. How is Dimmesdale’s sermon after the procession ironic?

8. After his confession on the scaffold, how is Dimmesdale’s tone characterized?

QUIZ ANSWERS

1. B. Mistress Hibbins invites Pearl to fly with her when Pearl eagerly asks about Dimmesdale’s propensity to cover his heart with his hand.

2. A. Visitors to the town react with curiosity and interest to Hester, making her feel more pain and shame than she has since first donning the scarlet letter.

3. C. Dimmesdale looks curiously detached and unfocused as he moves toward the meeting house to deliver his sermon; Hester feels as though she hardly recognizes him, and Pearl asks if he is the same man they saw in the forest.

4. D. After the revelation of Dimmesdale’s letter on the scaffold, some witnesses suggest it was branded there, others say it came from supernatural causes, and still others saw nothing.

5. A. No longer simply a symbol of her parents’ need for redemption, Pearl gains more human-like qualities as Dimmesdale dies. The fortune from Chillingworth and indication that she later marries and becomes a mother “tie” Pearl to a continued existence with human characteristics.

6. On gender relations, Hester suggests that someday relationships between women and men will improve. 

7. He discusses the holiness of the Puritan’s society, then goes unexpectedly to the scaffold to confess his sin.

8. He is penitent, accepting, and grateful for the chance at redemption.