Data Sheet 1
English Data Sheets Title: The Scarlet Letter_______________ Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne__________ Date of Publication: 1850_____________ Source of Information: SparkNotes_____ Provide information about the time period (literary, historical, philosophical, etc.): The 1800s saw the passing of the Founding Fathers and marked a rise in strife that would lead to the Civil War. As new states were added to the growing Union, the fight over whether they would be admitted as a free state or a slave state (thus enhancing that faction’s power) raged in the halls of power. The year the novel was published saw the passing of the Fugitive Slave Law, which allowed owner’s to re-claim slaves who had escaped north to freedom. Of course, not all those captured under the auspices of the law had actually been former slaves, driving up the tension. Amazingly, Hawthorne chose to focus on the evils he perceived in his own family history rather than the division occupying the rest of the country. Philosophically, this time also saw the publishing of Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto, a work that would shape the following centuries.
Identify the genre and explain how this work fits those characteristics: 1.
Historical fiction – the novel depicts life as it would have been during the 1600s in Puritan communities. While the descriptions are a more “modern” prose, the characters speak as they would have during the time.
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Allegory – the novel also serves to function as an allegory, teaching a lesson about the effects of various kinds of sin. Each major character, then, becomes symbolic in order to help achieve the author’s purpose.
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Romance – not in the modern sense of the word, but in a more traditional sense. It features supernatural elements and characters. The forest takes on a foreboding aspect; Pearl wavers between being a real child and a “fairy child” with preternatural senses. The novel is not depicting reality.
Significant details about the author: Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804. He is descended from the infamous Judge Hathorn, who was instrumental in convicting people of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. Many of his works focus on the Puritans, and are harshly critical of them. Hawthorne attended college with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a famous poet, and Franklin Pierce, the fourteenth President. He also became good friends with Herman Melville, Robert Browning, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, all famous writers. Hawthorne died in 1864.
Provide the major plot points:
A young Puritan woman, Hester Prynne, has committed adultery in the absence of her husband. She is sentenced to stand on a scaffold in the middle of town, holding her baby, for most of the day. Thereafter, she must wear a Scarlet Letter “A” for adultery on her chest. Though offered the opportunity to have her sentence made easier if she names the father, Hester refuses. As she serves her penance, her husband arrives to see her disgrace. He later talks her into concealing his presence, not acknowledging him as her husband. He takes the name Roger Chillingworth. Hester lives on the outskirts of town. Her work as a seamstress is in high demand. She raises her daughter, Pearl, and tends to the less fortunate. Roger, meanwhile, dedicates himself to discovering the identity of the father in order to punish him. The young town minister, Arthur Dimmesdale, is thought to be a saint among his parishioners. He seems to be suffering through a terrible ordeal. His congregation believes God is testing him to prove he is a worthy saint. The reader, however, knows that he is wracked with guilt over having sinned with Hester and not admitting his guilt. Roger rooms in the same boarding house with Arthur. He eventually figures out the secret and torments the man, as he said he would do. Hester continues to minister to the less fortunate. Pearl grows into a strange child, hardly seeming human at times. Finally, as he is dying, Arthur manages to confess his sins in front of the entire town. He dies knowing that he will receive forgiveness. Roger’s quest for revenge has destroyed him. Roger dies knowing he has damned himself for taking his revenge. Hester and Pearl leave, but eventually Hester moves back to continue taking care of those society would rather ignore or cast off, just like it did to her.
Data Sheet 2
Identify, define, and explain the use and effect of at least three literary techniques: 1.
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Metonymy – this is where one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated; it provides a more elegant or poetic way of saying something; it can also be used to lend a feeling of authority. For example, saying, “The orders came from the Oval Office” rather than just the President. Dramatic Irony – where the reader knows something that the characters do not know; often used to heighten tension or to emphasize a character trait. Here, the dramatic irony points out Dimmesdale’s hypocrisy.
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The age had not so much refinement, that any sense of impropriety restrained the wearers of petticoat and farthingale [emphasis added]from stepping forth into the public ways” (47).
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“*T+he Reverend Master Dimmesdale, her godly pastor, takes it very grievously to heart that such a scandal should have come upon his congregation” (48-9).
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“A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments, and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods and others bareheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes” (45).
Imagery – vivid descriptive language that appeals to one or more of the senses; authors use imagery to create the mood for the story. In his description of the Puritans, Hawthorne creates a sense of oppression.
Cite and quote at least three significant passages (use ellipses to abbreviate): 1.
Cite and Quote one example of each:
On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery [ . . . .] greatly beyond that allowed by the sumptuary regulations of the colony” (50).
“At his arrival in the market-place, and some time before she saw him, the stranger had bent his eyes on Hester Prynne [ . . . . ] When he found the eyes of Hester Prynne fastened on his own [ . . . ] he slowly and calmly raised his finger, made a gesture with it in the air, and laid it on his lips” (57).
In your own words, explain the significance of each passage or explain how it relates to the work as a whole: 1.
2.
“And thus, while standing on the scaffold, in this vain show of expiation, Mr. Dimmesdale was overcome with a great horror of mind [ . . . . ] ‘A pure hand needs no glove to cover it!’” (134 – 43).
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“He turned towards the scaffold, and stretched forth his arms [ . . . . ] That final word came forth with the minister’s expiring breath” (225 – 9).
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Hester has turned her badge of shame into a work of art. Her actions tie into Hawthorne’s belief about revealed sin. Because her sin is known, she has the strength to stand up to the Puritan elders. As the novel progresses, she continues to grow in strength until she is able to stand up to her former husband. Roger’s appearance as the stranger begins his role as the symbolic representation of unpardonable sin. He asks Hester to conceal his identity to allow him to discover the father of Pearl. His curiosity will drive him throughout the play as he strives to get his revenge. We also get the sense of how terrified Hester is of him, which helps convey how much her strength has grown when she finally stands up to him. Dimmesdale represents concealed sin, and as such his attempts to atone are all done in secret. In this passage, he stands on the scaffold where Hester stood, but he does it in the middle of the night. The only ones to see him are Hester, Pearl, and Roger. His physical body has decayed due to the effects of his concealed sin, and it will continue to destroy him until the end. As his last act, Dimmesdale is finally able to reveal his sin. Unfortunately, his actions are too late, and he dies. He is able to resist the final temptation offered by Chillingworth and bring his own sin out into the open.
Data Sheet 3
Describe the setting(s) and explain its significance: Location: Boston, Massachusetts Time: Middle 1600s. Hawthorne sets his novel during Puritan times in order to achieve his purpose of revealing their hypocrisy. Through the allegory he constructs, he takes them to task for their concept of “The Elect,” special people chosen by God to go to heaven. Also, Hawthorne greatly regrets the role his great grandfather played during the Salem Witch Trials. His novel allows him to show the faults in the Puritans and distance himself from his ancestor’s actions.
Identify and explain the given metaphors (M), symbols (S) or motifs (F) in the work: 1.
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Write and explain at least three theme(s) of the work: Revealed Sin – represented by Hester. Hawthorne believes that people whose sins are known gain in strength physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Hester will do exactly that as the novel progresses. Her experiences make her stronger than the other characters. Concealed Sin – Arthur Dimmesdale symbolizes this. Hawthorne believes that people are destroyed by the sins they conceal. As the novel progresses, Arthur looks increasingly sickly. He tries to atone for his sin by beating himself or standing on the scaffold in the middle of the night. However, it is only by openly acknowledging his sins that he can gain strength and forgiveness. Unpardonable Sin – Roger Chillingworth serves as the reperesentation; Roger usurps God’s role, taking it upon himself to punish Arthur. Roger compounds his sin of seeking revenge with the hubris of usurping the powers of God. Even when he is warned, Roger continues to seek his revenge, knowing that he is destroying himself at the same time. Physically, his description becomes more menacing and evil as the novel progresses to reflect the impact his unpardonable sin has on him. Puritan Hypocrisy – the Puritans supposedly believed in a literal interpretation of The Bible; however, they would never actual forgive others, even after they had paid their penance; they looked down on Hester and treated her poorly, even though many of them were guilty of far worse sins than she. Hawthorne shows that they are hypocrites.
Civilization (F) – this is the town, and as such is represents the control of the Puritans. Transgressions and wrongdoing are punished quickly and harshly. It also represents restraint. Wilderness (F) – this is the forest, and it represents freedom, especially from the harsh Puritan judgment; only when talking in the forest can Hester and Arthur be honest Night and Day (F) – night ties into concealed sin, while day ties to revealed sin The Scarlet Letter (S) – though initially meant to represent Hester’s shame, it transforms into a symbol of strength; indeed, at the end of the novel, many of the younger townspeople believe that the “A” stands for “Angel.” Pearl (S) – she is a living indication of the sin shared by her parents; indeed; her name is a reference to the impurity that lies at the heart of a precious jewel; she often speaks out a more than a child, serving as a conscience to Hester and Arthur. Names (S/F) – Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, Pearl; their names are symbolic and tie directly into the themes Hawthorne explores in the novel.
Write at least three questions or topics for discussion: 1. Why does Hester not just leave after she gets out of jail? 2. What, exactly, did Hester see in Arthur in the first place? 3. Why do Arthur and Hester not follow through on their plan to run away? 4. Why does Pearl seem so strange in places?
Data Sheet 4
List the given characters. For each character, explain their relationship to other characters, provide at least three adjectives to describe the character, and explain the character’s purpose or function in the story. Be sure to indicate if the character is round or flat, static or dynamic: Considering that this novel is an allegory, Hawthorne could have easily given us flat characters that remain static throughout the book. Instead, each character has more than one dimension, and each character undergoes a change from the beginning to the end (though not all of the changes are for the better). 1.
Hester Prynne – She wears the Scarlet Letter of the title. As part of her punishment for committing adultery, Hester is sentenced to spend several months in jail where she gives birth. She then has to stand on the scaffold in the center of town for several hours. Finally, she is condemned to wear a large letter “A” on her breast for the rest of her life. At first, Hester seems to be timid and meek, immediately caving into the demands of the Puritan council. Yet we see the first hint of her strength in her refusal to name the baby’s father. When confronted by her husband, she stands firm despite the fact the she is obviously scared of him. That strength grows throughout the novel as Hester uses her outcast state to bring comfort to others. When the Puritan elders threaten to take her daughter from her, she is able to muster the courage to stand up for her rights. Even when she is scorned by those others, she is there in their time of need. While Hester’s physical beauty suffers, her spiritual beauty increases. She is compassionate, loyal, and determined.
2.
Arthur Dimmesdale – Hester’s minister, and the father of her child. First, his name is representation of his own moral weakness. As a member of the Puritan “Elect,” the good Reverend should be above such mundane sins. However, he falls for Hester and into the sins of lust and adultery. As the representation of concealed sin, Dimmesdale mirrors the spiritual destruction he is under-going in his physical appearance. His health fails because his conscience is plaguing him for not confessing his sin and facing his punishment openly. Instead, he scourges himself in secret and stand on the scaffold in the middle of the night. His decay, ironically, makes him more sainted and beloved of his Puritan congregation. They see his decay as indicative of his sainted status with God – obviously such a holy man will be called home soon. Even his final confession before his death is taken symbolically by his flock. The Puritans make up their minds first, and refuse to change their opinion when confronted with contrary facts. Instead, they force the facts to fit their pre-conceived notions.
3.
Roger Chillingworth – Hester husband, and an eminent scholar. We are never given his real name; he is initially identified as “the stranger,” and thereafter by his chosen pseudonym. He brings a “chill” to Arthur’s life, just as his name indicates. Chillingworth represents Unpardonable Sin, because he sets himself up as God, punisheing Dimmesdale for sinning with his wife. Just as the others physically change to mirror their internal transformation, so too does Chillingworth become more demonic as the novel progresses. From the curious scholar we meet at the beginning of the novel, Chillingworth slowly morphs into almost a caricature of the devil. At one point, Hester muses as to why the grass and plants don’t wither around him as he stalks through the forest. He has become a hollow shell, destroying anything but the desire for his revenge. When Arthur grasps his last chance of redemption and confesses just before his death, Roger is totally destroyed, having sacrificed his own soul for nothing.
4.
Pearl – as her name suggests, she is a precious jewel with a grain of impurity at the center of her creation. Pearl is often used to act as a conscience for either Hester or Arthur. She often displays knowledge or understanding beyond her years, asking pointed questions or making comments that strike at the heart of her listener. And yet she also is used to contrast with the Puritan children. Pearl is happy, adventurous, and free in contrast to the others, who act out their parents’ roles in miniature. She changes the most dramatically, as she loses her “other-worldly” qualities once they are no longer needed to become a normal child.
