notes for scarlet letter chapter 14 and 15

Question 1

where does hester send pearl to so she can be alone to talk to chillingworth

Answer 1

sends her to play in the water

Question 2

what does chillingworth inform hester of

Answer 2

that the magistrates have been considering letting Hester take off the red letter.

Question 3

what does hester reply to chillingworth saying that she might be relieved of the scarlet letter

Answer 3

Thanks, but no thanks, says Hester. If she were worthy, it would fall away by itself or be transformed into something else. The magistrates don’t have the right to order it removed.

Question 4

chillingworth tells hester that the letter is

Answer 4

fancy and suits her

Question 5

hester is shocked by chillingworth’s

Answer 5

change from a scholary man to a desperate, greedy creature.

Question 6

who does hester blame for putting the sin in chillingworth’s heart

Answer 6

herself

Question 7

did dimmesdale ever guess that chillingworth was persecuting him

Answer 7

nope

Question 8

what does hester say about dimmesdale to chillingworth

Answer 8

it would have been better if Dimmesdale had died or been publicly shamed than to have Chillingworth stalking him for seven years.

Question 9

after hester begs for chillingworth to let up, what does he say

Answer 9

Chillingworth says that Dimmesdale has actually made things worse by forcing Chillingworth to become a vindictive monster.

Question 10

hester breaks down at the end of chapter 14 and says what

Answer 10

she’s had enough of this. she’s going to reveal the secret, since her silence has ruined Dimmesdale’s life.

Question 11

what does chillingworth say in response to hester saying she will let out her secret

Answer 11

this makes Chillingworth break out into admiration and wish that she’d met someone who deserved her.

Question 12

after hester asked for the last time to forgive dimmesdale, what does chillingworth say

Answer 12

No can do. He has no power to forgive. This is his fate, just as it was her fate to commit adultery.

Question 13

Chillingworth returns to his task of ______ after his talk with hester

Answer 13

gathering herbs

Question 14

what does hester think as she watches chillingworth pick herbs

Answer 14

Is she imagining the shadow following him? Can such an evil man actually heal anyone? Or will the herbs become poison, because his hatred ruins everything around him?

Question 15

what does hester declare

Answer 15

Hester declares that she hates chillingworth, even if hatred is a sin.

Question 16

what does hester get mad over

Answer 16

She can’t believe she ever agreed to marry Chillingworth, and she actually gets kind of mad at him for convincing her that she’d be happy with him.

Question 17

what does hester decide upon

Answer 17

In fact, she decides that he’s done more wrong to her than she’s done to him.

Question 18

what has pearl been doing this whole time

Answer 18

dressing up as a mermaid with a seaweed scarf, mantle, headdress, and a seaweed A across her chest

Question 19

what is pearl’s response when she is asked if she knows what the letter means

Answer 19

Yep—and the minister keeps his hand over his heart for the same reason.
Pearl says that she’s said everything she knows—but Chillingworth knows a lot more.

Question 20

what does hester realize about pearl

Answer 20

that pearl is growing into a nice girl, maybe they can be friends

Question 21

what does hester say to pearl when pearl asks what the letter means and why dimmesdale keeps his hand over his heart

Answer 21

“I wear it for the sake of its gold thread”

there are some things kids should ask.

Question 22

has hester ever lied about the letter

Answer 22

nope and she can feel the evil creeping in her now

Question 23

what are the names of chapter 14 and 15

Answer 23

Hester and the Physician

Hester and Pearl