The Scarlet Letter
Chapter 1
1. What is the location of the opening scene?
2. In what city does this story take place?
3. The author identifies what particular plant in front of the edifice? 4. Who is the main character?
5. How old is her daughter?
6. What is she wearing on “the breast of her gown?
7. Who embroidered it?
8. Describe it.
9. Describe Hester.
10. What is a “pillory”?
Chapter 2 & 3
1. Among the crowd watching Hester were some Indians. Who did Hester observe standing amongst them?
2. What was his physical deformity?
3. How did Hester come to be in Boston?
4. What is her sin for which she has been imprisoned?
5. What is the normal punishment for the crime committed by Hester?
6. However, because she is young and her husband may be at the bottom of the sea, what is the punishment
that the town magistrates have given to Hester?
7. Who is the Governor?
8. Who is the eldest clergyman of Boston?
9. To which minister does the responsibility of Hester's soul lie?
10. Describe the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale.
11. Who was Hester asked to name?
12. When Hester was led back to prison, what was reported about the scarlet letter?
Chapter 4
1. After she was returned to the prison, why did the guards watch Hester?
2. What was the condition of the baby?
3. What did the jailer decide was needed?
4. What is the name of the “doctor” who comes?
5. What is “alchemy”?
6. How does he quiet the baby?
7. Who is Roger Chillingworth, really?
8. What does he want Hester to tell him?
9. Why does he want to know?
10. Since Hester won't tell him, what does he ask Hester to keep secret?
Chapter 5
1. Hester could leave the colony and be free of her punishment but she chooses not to. Identify the two reasons why Hester does not leave.
2. Where did Hester live?
3. What skill did Hester possess that meant she could support herself?
4. These are Puritans. Why did they ever need fancy stuff on their clothes?
5. What is it that Hester was never asked to decorate?
6. What did Hester do for the poor?
7. Was there anything that made Hester feel like a part of society?
8. Identify 6 examples of the kind of torment Hester had to face everyday.
9. Hester felt that the scarlet letter gave her __________________________.
10. Cite 3 examples of this.
11. What was said about the scarlet letter on Hester at night?
Chapter 6
1. What is Hester's one consolation?
2. Why did Hester name her daughter Pearl?
3. What does Pearl say when Hester tries to teach her about God?
4. How does Pearl fascination with the scarlet letter impact Hester?
Chapter 7
1. What was Hester going to deliver to the governor's house?
2. What was the main focus of her visit?
3. What was the basis of the argument for taking Pearl away?
4. Give the physical description of Pearl as found in this chapter.
5. There was fire in her and throughout her; she seemed the unpremeditated offshoot of ________________.
6. Describe the outfit that Pearl is wearing that made her the “very brightest little jet of flame ever to dance
upon the earth.”
7. When she was wearing this outfit, “the child's whole appearance reminded the beholder of ____________.”
8. When Pearl told her mother that she wanted all of the sunshine on the governor's house to play with, her
mother responded by telling her that, “________ . . .
9. What did Pearl want that she could not have and thus she began to cry?
Chapter 8
1. Who are the guests at the governor's house?
2. When Pearl is asked who she is, what does she answer?
3. Hester says she can teach Pearl everything she needs to know because she has been taught by _________.
4. What does the governor refer to as Hester's “badge of shame”?
5. Which minister conducts Pearl's interview?
6. What does Pearl answer when asked, “Who made thee?
7. What does Hester note has happened to Roger's features?
8. What announcement does Hester make to all assembled at the governor's house? _____
9. Who does she ask to speak in her behalf?
10. Arthur Dimmesdale has developed the habit of holding his hand over ______________.
11. Identify one of the reasons that Arthur gives for leaving Pearl with Hester.
12. How does Pearl react to Arthur?
13. What does Mr. Wilson say that Pearl has in her?
14. Who invites Hester into the forest for that night?
15. What reason does Hester give for not going into the forest?
Chapter 9
1. What is an “appellation”?
2. What happened to Mr. Dimmesdale's health about this time?
3. When it was suggested that Mr. Dimmesdale needed medicine, he responded _________.
4. How did Roger come to be Dimmesdale's medical advisor?
5. Who became Roger's roommate?
6. What opinion about Arthur Dimmesdale grew?
7. What was Roger Chillingworth plotting against?
Chapter 10
1. Roger began an investigation into whose heart?
2. Roger Chillingworth had perceptions that were almost __________________________________________.
3. Where did Roger get the flabby leaves? 4. He claims that the leaves grew from some man's heart because the man hid what?
5. Who is it that Roger and Arthur see walking in the cemetery?
6. What is Pearl doing with burrs?
7. What does Pearl refer to Roger as?
8. Pearl claims that if Hester is not careful, what will happen?
9. What does Roger do to Arthur while Arthur is asleep in the chair?
10. What is Roger's reaction
Chapter 11
1. “The victim was forever on the rack;” What is the meaning of this sentence as it pertains to Arthur and
Roger?
2. How does Arthur come to feel about Roger?
3. Why has Arthur's fame grown?
4. People deem the young clergyman a miracle of what?
5. Arthur told the members of his church that he was a “_____________ and a _______________.”
6. What did Arthur keep in his secret closet?
7. What did he do that made his knees tremble?
8. What did he keep “in utter darkness”?
9. What was the only truth that continued to give Dimmesdale real existence on this earth?
Chapter 12
1. What is “somnambulism”?
2. Where is Dimmesdale at the beginning of chapter 12?
3. While on the scaffold, what does Dimmesdale do that makes him think everyone in town will see him?
4. Who is the one person who hears him?
5. Who died?
6. Who comes by and speaks to him?
7. What does he ask them to do?
8. What request does Pearl make?
9. What is his answer?
10. What streaks across the sky at this moment?
11. What shape does it take?
12. Who espies the trio on the scaffold?
13. What is meant by the question, “Who is that man, Hester”?
14. What does Dimmesdale do the next day?
15. What do people say the “A” stood for?
Chapters 13-14
1. In what physical condition does Hester find Dimmesdale at the beginning of chapter 13?
2. Hester felt a responsibility to Arthur. What was the link?
3. How many years have gone by?
4. The townspeople changed their view towards Hester. How? Why?
5. "The letter was the symbol of her ______________ . . . They said that it meant ______________________."
6. Whose opinion about Hester was more difficult to change than the townspeople's?
7. "The scarlet letter had the effect of the cross on a nun's bosom." Give examples explaining how the letter
protected Hester in the same way a cross protects a nun.
8. What transformation had the scarlet letter wrought on Hester --both physically and emotionally?
9. If Pearl had never been born, what might Hester have been like?
10. Dimmesdale ". . . stood on the verge of __________________."
11. Who was the secret enemy that constantly stood at Dimmesdale's side?
12. Who does Hester speak with by the sea shore while he was gathering herbs?
13. As Pearl is standing in the water, what does she see ". . . floating to and fro in the agitated water"?
14. What has the council discussed?
15. It was as if Chillingworth was transforming into a ___________________.
16. Why did Chillingworth's appearance make the scarlet letter burn on Hester's bosom?
17. How long has it been since Hester spoke to Roger?
18. How long would Dimmesdale have lasted if it hadn't been for Roger?
19. According to Roger who has the stronger spirit--Hester or Arthur?
20. Describe Chillingworth nine years ago.
21. Who made Roger as he is today?
22. Why has he not avenged Hester?
23. What do Hester and Roger pity for each other?
24. What does Hester ask Roger to do?
25. What power does Roger not have?
26. Roger notes that the life they have been living was unavoidable--it is their ________.
Chapter 15
1. How does Hester feel about Roger?
2. What were the early days of Hester's marriage to Roger like?
3. What had Pearl been doing during their conversation?
4. Why did Pearl stop throwing pebbles at birds?
5. Out of what material did Pearl make herself look like a mermaid?
6. What decoration did Pearl put on her dress?
7. What is a "horn book"?
8. What three questions does Pearl ask of Hester?
9. What does Hester answer?
10. How does Hester threaten Pearl at the end of chapter 15?
Chapter 16
1. Who is the Apostle Eliot?
2. On what kind of day does Hester meet and walk with Dimmesdale?
3. What is it that Pearl tells Hester is running away from her?
4. Pearl wishes to hear a story about __________________________.
5. According to Hester, how many times did she meet the Old Black Man?
6. What mark did he leave on her?
7. On what did Hester and Pearl sit in the forest?
8. What is it that Pearl resembles?
9. When Hester and Pearl finally see Dimmesdale coming down the path, he looks "haggard and feeble, and
betrayed a nerveless despondency in his air. . ."
What was placed over his heart?
Chapter 17
1. How was Hester dressed?
2. Arthur and Hester hold hands. How is it described?
3. What is the first question Arthur asks Hester?
4. What does she respond?
5. What does Dimmesdale say he found?
6. What is the only way Dimmesdale may have found peace?
7. What does Hester think should have comforted Dimmesdale all these years?
8. Arthur says that she wears the letter openly on her bosom, but his burns in _______.
9. What does Arthur wish he had to help him bear his terrible secret and guilt?
10. Hester reveals to Arthur that she is a true ___________________, but Roger is the ___________________.
11. What does Hester feel would have been preferable to keeping all these secrets as she chose to do?
12. What does Hester say is never good, ". . . even though death threaten on the other side"?
13. What secret does Hester reveal to Arthur?
14. Arthur tells Hester that he _________________ forgive her!
15. She throws her arms around him and will not let him go. Does Arthur try to get out of her embrace?
16. ". . . The frown of this pale, weak, sinful . . . man was what Hester could not _________ and
________________________.
17. After a bit, he does decide to __________________ her.
18. What has been blacker than Arthur and Hester's sin?
19. When was the only moment Arthur could be true?
20. What are the two locations that Hester suggests he go?
21. Hester tells him to be a sage and a scholar. What three commands does she give him?
22. When he repeats the words, "Alone, Hester!" what does she respond?
Chapter 18
1. What is the look on Arthur's face? List four things.
2. The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where others dared not enter. What three regions are these?
3. The minister's sin had been a sin of _______________ not _____________ nor even _________________.
4. What did the clergyman decide to do?
5. Once the decision is made, what does Arthur feel?
6. What two things does Hester do to show that she is now free of all this?
7. What came back to Hester at this moment?
8. How did the forest treat Pearl?
9. When Pearl heard her Mother's voice, how did she walk back? Why?
Chapter 19
1. Hester asks Arthur if he can tell whose __________________ Pearl has.
2. In Pearl was visible the _____________ that united them.
3. Hester tells Arthur that Pearl is “ a ______________ and ______________ little ___________ sometimes.”
4. How many times in the past has Pearl been kind to Arthur?
5. Pearl is not the only one her mother now openly loves, and she can feel it. Who is it that Hester has let into
her heart?
6. Arthur observes that a boundary now exists between two worlds. What is it that represents that boundary?
7. When Arthur noticed Pearl staring at him from the other side of the brook, what did he instinctively do with
his his hand?
8. Why did Pearl point at her mother and refuse to cross the brook?
9. What did Pearl refuse to pick up and take to her mother?
10. After Hester puts on the letter and puts her hair under her cap, Pearl tells her that, “Now thou art
________________ _____________________ ___________________.”
11. Pearl kisses her mother and she also kisses __________________________________.
12. Hester tells Pearl that someday they will live as a family and have a home. How does Hester describe the
life she hopes they will have?
13. What is a “talisman”?
14. When Arthur kissed Pearl on the forehead, what did Pearl do?
15. What is the forest a symbol of?
16. Why do Hester and Arthur meet there?
Chapter 20
1. Define “vicissitude”. 2. Where have Hester and Arthur decided to go?
3. In how many days will they leave?
4. It is most fortunate that they will not leave immediately because he wishes to preach the
______________________________________________.
5. The excitement of his interview with Hester has given Arthur an unaccustomed amount of
______________________________________________.
6. Describe his walk back into Boston.
7. Give an example of one of Arthur's encounters with various people and how he feels like acting during it.
8. What does Arthur feel like teaching to a group of youngsters who are playing?
9. Who is the witch-lady?
10. After Arthur's meeting with the witch-lady, he is wondering if he ______________________.
11. Arthur claims that another man returned from the forest; a _____________________ one.
12. Who knocks on Arthur's door and comes to visit?
13. What does Arthur tell Roger that he no longer needs?
14. What did Arthur do with the first draft of his sermon? Chapter 21
1. Define “plebeian.”
2. If a person wore deerskin, he was a member of what part of the community?
3. The coarse, gray cloth that Hester always wore had the effect of what?
4. What kind of look did Hester have on her face this particular day?
5. In general, how does Pearl behave on this special day?
6. What does she have to say about the blacksmith?
7. What instructions concerning Arthur does Hester give to Pearl?
8. Briefly describe the party of Indians who were at the Election Day celebration. 9. Briefly describe the party of sailors who were at the Election Day celebration. 10. Briefly describe the Puritan elders who were at the Election Day celebration. 11. Describe the commander of the vessel who was the “most showy and gallant figure, so far as apparel went,
anywhere to be seen among the multitude.”
“on his garment” _____________________________
“his hat” _____________________________
“his face” _____________________________
“at his side”_____________________________
12. What usually surrounded Hester wherever she stood?
13. The captain of the Bristol ship informs Hester that his vessel will be carrying yet another person from Boston on their voyage. Who?
14. At the end of this chapter, who does Hester notice smiling at her “standing in the remotest corner of the
marketplace
15. What does the smile convey?
Chapter 22
1. In the Election Day parade, what came first? 2. As Mr. Dimmesdale marched in the parade, it was noted that he exhibited much _______________.
3. What did Hester feel come over her as she watched the clergyman?
4. What question does Pearl ask her mother about Arthur?
5. Define “necromancy”.
6. What question does Mistress Hibbins demand an answer to from Hester?
7. What does Pearl ask Mistress Hibbins if she has seen?
8. Mistress Hibbins tells Pearl that she is of the line of the
9. Who gives Pearl a gold chain?
10. What message does the ship's captain tell Pearl to give to her mother?
11. What name does the ship's captain call Pearl?
12. Who does Mistress Hibbins say is Pearl's father?
13. What threat does Pearl make to the captain of the Bristol ship if he “calls her that ill name”?
14. “ . . . a flake on the sea foam had taken the shape of a little maid” is an example of what?
15. “She gazed silently, and seemed to be born upward, like a floating seabird, on the long heaves and swells of
sound.” This sentence contains an example of what?
Chapter 23
1. According to his hearers, Arthur's sermon was fantastic! Never had man spoken in so _________, so
_______________, and so ___________________ a spirit.
2. What was the subject of Arthur's sermon?
3. Define “pathos”. 4. Arthur's sermon was so good that “were there now brilliant particles of a ________________ in the air
about his _______________________. Did his ____________________ really tread upon the dust of earth?
5. Amid all his triumph, Mr. Dimmesdale looked very _________________ and _______________.
6. Whose arm did Dimmesdale refuse to take?
7. Where did Arthur invite Hester and Pearl to join him?
8. Who tried to stop them?
9. What does Arthur ask Hester to do?
10. They climb the scaffold together. What does Arthur reveal to the crowd?
11. What does Roger repeat after Arthur's big revelation?
12. What does Arthur say to Roger with his dying eyes?
13. When Pearl kisses Arthur, what happens?
14. When does Hester tell Arthur they will see each other again?
16. What happens to Arthur at the end of this chapter?
Chapter 24
1. What is a necromancer?
2. Summarize paragraph 3 of chapter 24.
3. What is the moral of the story?
4. How did Chillingworth change after Arthur's death?
5. What is it that Hawthorne describes that may be the same thing?
6. Who did Roger Chillingworth bequeath property to?
7. What was Pearl's financial status? 8. Where did Hester go?
9. Did Hester ever move back?
10. What became of Pearl?
11. “the scarlet letter ceased to be a stigma . . . and became a kind of thing to be
______________________ over and looked upon with ________________.”
12. People brought Hester all of their ________________ and besought her ___________________________.
13. What is the definition of “delved”? 14. Where was Hester buried?
15. What is the meaning of “gules”?
16. What was carved on Hester and Arthur's tombstone?