AP Junior English

Honors English III

The Scarlet Letter Study Questions

Chapters 1-8

Answer the following questions to prepare for the test over these chapters.

1. What is the setting (time & place) of the novel?

2. What does Hawthorne include in the opening scene which seems out of character with everything else?

3. What symbols are presented in Chapter 1?

4. Explain how the crowd reacts to Hester as she emerges from the jail and stands before them. Is everyone who speaks in agreement about her?

5. What 3 things does Hester think about while she is on the scaffold?

6. How long has Hester been living in Boston? Where has her husband been and why does it take so long for him to arrive?

7. What is Hester’s punishment for her sin/crime? Is this the usual punishment? If not, why?

8. Who speaks to Hester while she is on the scaffold (3 people), and what does each one ask her to do?

9. How does Chillingworth help Hester the evening after her public humiliation? Why is she hesitant to accept his help? What does he vow to do? How will he do it?

10. Where does Hester live when she is released from jail? How does she support herself and her child?

11. Why does Hester stay in Boston? (2 reasons)

12. Lists ways in which Hester suffered and was mistreated because of her sin. Also, what ability did she feel that the scarlet letter which she wore gave her?

13. What did Hester name her child? Why?

14. Describe Pearl. What was the first thing that she was attracted to as a young child?

15. Hester visits Governor Bellingham for two reasons. What were they, and which was the more important reason for her visit?

16. Describe Pearl’s behavior at the governor’s mansion. How does her behavior and response to the questioning worsen the situation for Hester?

17. Who finally prevents Hester from losing Pearl? What is his argument?

18. Describe Mistress Hibbins. How does the governor’s sister add an interesting dimension to the plot?

The Scarlet Letter Study Questions Chapters 9-12

1. What is a leech?

2. Describe the relationship that developed between Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. What kinds of things did they do together? Where did they live?

3. Describe the change in Dimmesdale’s health. What does he do when he is alarmed?

4. For what three reasons, according to Dimmesdale, might men not confess their sins to others?

5. What does Pearl do one day when she and her mother overhear Chillingworth and Dimmesdale talking?

6. How does Chillingworth discover Dimmesdale’s secret?

7. How does Dimmesdale begin to feel about Chillingworth even though he does not know why he feels that way?

8. What intensifies Dimmesdale’s pain?

9. What things does Dimmesdale do to himself in order to punish himself for his sin?

10. Where does Dimmesdale go one night around midnight?

11. How long has it been since Hester stood on the scaffold holding Pearl as an infant?

12. What does Dimmesdale imagine happens while he is on the scaffold? What does he really do?

13. Explain the role of the other major characters during the second scaffold scene which occurs in Chapter 12.

The Scarlet Letter Study Questions Chapters 13-16

1. Why does Hester decide the Dimmesdale has a right to her aid?

2. Why is Hester described as having an expression of “marble coldness”?

3. Many of the townspeople have a new meaning for Hester’s “A.” What is it?

4. What drastic step does Hester consider taking during this period of time?

5. When Hester meets Chillingworth, what reason does he give her for not having taken revenge against her?

6. Describe Chillingworth’s appearance when he and Hester meet. How has he changed?

7. Describe how Hester now feels about Chillingworth.

8. What new emotion do we see from Pearl? Explain.

9. What does Pearl frequently ask her mother, and what does Hester threaten to do to Pearl if she doesn’t stop?

10. Why is Hester afraid to meet with Dimmesdale in his study? Where does she decide to meet him?What kind of story does Pearl want her mother to tell her as they wait for Dimmesdale?

11. How does Pearl learn of the story that the letter “A” is the mark of the Black Man?

12. What does Hester tell Pearl in order to get her to stop asking her questions?

13. Describe the use of sunshine and shadow in these chapters.

14. What does Hawthorne compare Pearl to in the forest?

Scarlet Letter Study Questions Chapters 17-20

1. Because their meeting in the forest was so strange and unusual, what did Hester and Dimmesdale first think about each other?
2. What does Hester need to tell Dimmesdale? What does she feel that she must have from him in order to continue living?
3. Who, according to Hester and Dimmesdale, is a worse sinner than they are and why do they think so?
4. List the topics that they discuss during their meeting in the forest.
5. What plan do they formulate for the future? What factors influence them to make this particular plan?
6. Why does Dimmesdale agree to go along with Hester’s plan?
7. Describe Hester’s behavior after they finalize their plans.
8. Explain why Dimmesdale had never gotten to know Pearl.
9. How does Pearl behave when she sees her mother with Dimmesdale? Why?
10. What does she demand that Hester do, and how does she react after Hester complies? How is she particularly rude to her mother?
11. Describe Dimmesdale’s feelings and actions when Pearl joins them. What is Pearl’s reaction to him?
12. What one remaining commitment does Dimmesdale insist on fulfilling?
13. Describe Dimmesdale’s mental state as he returns to town. What does he think about? Who does he talk to?
14. What does Dimmesdale do with the Election Sermon that he has been writing when he returns to his home?
15. Describe the exchange that occurs between Dimmesdale and Chillingworth when he returns home.

The Scarlet Letter Study Questions Chapters 21-24

1. . Who initiates the action in this section?

2. What was the spirit of Election Day in Boston?

3. Who remembered Pearl as a baby and acknowledged her when he saw her coming into town for the holiday?

4. How did Hester conduct herself among the crowd?

5. What did the ship’s captain tell Hester?

6. What was the effect of this news on Hester?

7. How did Chillingworth look at Hester?

8. Where did Hester stand during the Election Sermon? Why?

9. What kind of sermon did Dimmesdale deliver?

10. How was the sad “undertone of pathos” of Dimmesdale’s sermon interpreted?

11. What message did the sailor ask Pearl to give her mother?

12. Describe how Dimmesdale appeared to Hester when he walked in the processional. What specific things did he do?

13. Where did Dimmesdale finally stop during the processional? Why?

14. What does he ask Hester and Pearl to do?

15. Who tries to stop Dimmesdale from doing this?

16. What does Chillingworth tell Dimmesdale in order to get him to stop?

17. What does he say to Chillingworth?

18. What does Dimmesdale tell Hester?

19. What was the only place on earth that Dimmesdale could have escaped Chillingworth?

20. What specific actions does Dimmesdale perform while he is on the scaffold?

21. What does Chillingworth do?

22. What does Pearl do while on the scaffold?

23. What different accounts (3) were given of how the “A” came to be on Dimmesdale’s breast?

24. What became of Chillingworth?

25. What was the last worthwhile thing that Chillingworth did?

26. What happened to Hester and Pearl?

27. How were Hester’s last years spent?

28. What was the attitude of the people toward her?

29. What became of Pearl?

30. When she died, where was Hester buried? Describe the burial place.