Scarlet Letter Questions by: Kat, Kimber, Randa, Khadija, Amy, Temitope, and Faith

1) Hester, the main character of the novel, committed the sin of adultery. She slept with Arthur Dimmesdale, a minister, while she was married to “Roger Chillingworth.” As a result of her betrayal Chillingworth refuses to recognize Hester as his wife. When Hester asks, “ why not announce thyself openly, and cast me off at once?” (Hawthorne 71) He replies, “ It may be, because I will not encounter the dishonor that besmirches the husband of a faithless woman.” (Hawthorne 71) Another important character, Arthur Dimmesdale, committed the sin of fornication with someone else’s wife, Hester Prynne. The result of this fornication was clearly visible to their society because of Prynne suddenly conceiving a child, Pearl. Chillingworth a sin was to act on his wrath towards Dimmesdale and Hester because of their betrayal. With the committing of sins comes the many consequences.

They had all received consequences for their sins. Hester’s consequence was that she had to stand on the marketplace’s scaffold for three hours on public display and had to wear a scarlet letter “A”, to symbolize how she had committed adultery, for the remainder of her life.

2) Hawthorne shows complex writing style. His writing style sounded archaic and was often difficult to understand. The dialogues were not like natural speech but written as in prose just as everything else, very unlike the normal way people speak. For example, in this statement, "we have as yet hardly spoken of the infant; that little creature, whose innocent life had sprung, by the inscrutable decree of Providence, a lovely and immortal flower, out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty passion. How strange it seemed to the sad woman, as she watched the growth, and the beauty that became every day more brilliant, and the intelligence that threw its quivering sunshine over the tiny features of this child! The statement is very archaic in every sense because readers would read and sense that he was writing for his own benefit and no natural speech is expressed. For instance, he uses person to person.

Hawthorne also uses a great use of large, complex vocabulary. This book could be read by many age groups. The vocabulary used seemed very professional and difficult. Many readers would seem illiterate while reading this novel. In this quote stated,” What little bird of scarlet plumage may this be? Methinks I have seen just such figures when the sun has been shining through a richly painted window, and tracing out the golden and crimson images across the floor. But that was in the old land. Prithee, young one, who art thou, and what has ailed thy mother to bedizen thee in this strange fashion? Art thou a Christian child — ha? Dost know thy catechism? Or art thou one of those naughty elves or fairies whom we thought to have left behind us, with other relics of Papistry, in merry old England?" He also has a great use of figurative language. The one he is most prominent for is metaphors and similes. He uses it in almost every sentence. This makes his writing even more difficult. The consequences of Hester Prynne’s sin were to stand on a scaffold and be mocked and to wear a scarlet “A” on her bosom at all times. This way everyone would know that she committed adultery. The purpose of these punishments was to embarrass Prynne and make her repentant for the sin that she committed. Everyone in town knows that she must wear it as a punishment. The people must ignore he because she defied the Puritan society rule, and this leaves her lonely.

3)The definition of a feminist is the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of the men. Also it means an organized movement for the attainment of such rights for women. In the book Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne is portrayed as an early feminist. In one scene, as she emerged from the prison to stand on the scaffold, from the prison, Hester did not cover her “A”. She wore and showed it proudly. Also the way that she transformed the “A” with the embroidery was another symbol as to how she was an early feminist. She wore the “A” on her bosom as a badge of honor.

Another main reason why Hester Prynne is an early feminist is because she took a lot from other people. There were people who looked down on her and didn’t even consider her a woman anymore. They gave her a lot of problems but she didn’t do anything to get them back. In this sense she is so powerful because she didn’t need to do anything. At the same time this set an example for other women. That even though they were looked down upon because they were women they didn’t need to act upon it and treat others badly. She helped people instead. That is why girls would look for her seeking her advice. Hester was very powerful and a leader and she didn’t even know it.


4) This scene serves as the climax of the novel because it showed Dimmesdale remorse towards Hester. Dimmesdale felt sorry because he thought he was suppose to be in Hester’s position seven years ago. He wanted to make up for the time he was supposes to spend on the scaffold. The scaffold was an important symbol of the unity of a family.

Dimmesdale, Hester, and Pearl are starting to come together and unite as a family. “ The moment that he did so, there came what seemed a tumultuous rush of new life, other than his own…”(pg. 140) This was the beginning of a new chapter in their life together. The scaffold scene was the turning point in the novel where they could all be together even though there was no one around to see.

5.) Names of people are usually symbolic. In the novel, same of the main characters had unique names, yet they had meaning. Pearl was Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale daughter. She was the result of their sinful action. Arthur Dimmesdale was the minister of the community and a role model of sanctity to the people. Roger Chillingworth was Hester Prynne husband and a supposed physician.

Pearls are precious, one of a kind, beautiful and extravagant. Through Hester Prynne eyes, her daughter was this and more. She considered her daughter, her one and only treasure, the one closest to her heart. Therefore she named her Pearl. Arthur Dimmesdale fives a life full of remorse after he realizes that hiding the truth would only make matters worse. Under the physician’s watchful eye, Dimmesdale became weak and depressed. He lives a very dim and black life even though he was viewed as a purified individual. When you think of Dimmesdale, you would think of “dimness”. Roger Chillingworth went through a metamorphosis. During the novel, he went from being a quiet, smart, bookworm to someone filled with hate and determination for revenge. He felt betrayed and humiliates at the fact that his wife slept with someone else while he was absent. His attitude brings forth a flood of chills upon anyone who knows his true intentions.

6.) Hester’s attitude has changed from when she emerges from jail to the last scene in the sense that she is a more optimistic individual. When she got out of the jailhouse, she was insecure and hang her head low. She didn’t have any confidence and she felt neglected. All she had in this world was her daughter and nothing more. Her daughter was her only reason for lying.

One, event that helped with her transformation was when she no longer had to stand on the scaffold for three hours and get a place for her and pearl in the woods. This event helped shape her, because she no longer had to ensure people’s eyes staring at her. She can focus on herself and her daughter. One way that she does that is through her sewing. She lets that be her escape route, and she makes money out of it. She starts to gain her confidence and sense of womanhood back by helping other people.