Scarlet Letter Test Flashcards
What is the symbol of the rose bush related to
Passion
What are the women in the courtyard upset about
They believe her punishment isn’t severe enough
What is Hester’s punishment
Stand on the scaffold while wearing the A
Hester is shocked to discover who is in town her first day on the scaffold
Chillingworth
What does Chillingworth vow to do and how
Find out who the father is by looking into his heart
What is pearls function in the novel and how does Hawthorne reveal this
She is the living extension of the scarlet letter because when Hester throws away the A, Pearl freaks out because she feels like Hester has thrown her away
What are some symbols of the SL
Adulterer, Hidden sin, able, angel
Why is Hester’s housing choice symbolic
She is on the edge of the moral world and the immortality of the woods
Explain the significance of Pearl’s name
Hester chose the name because a pearl is something that is paid at a high price like the price she paid for Pearl
What point does Hawthorne try to make with the name
Appearances can be misleading
How does the trip to the governors mansion further the idea of the SL
She is dressed in a scarlet red dress and she told him she was plucked from the Rose bush
Why does Hester appeal to Dimmesdale? What are some things that this encounter causes?
Because it’s his child. The man also realize that Arthur knows Hester more than they thought. Dimmesdale begins to it knowledge Pearl and pearl recognizes a connection between them
Give two reasons Chillingworth is compared to a leech
He is a physician who at the time still use the leeches and he is living off Dimmesdale and will eventually suck the life out of him
What is the turning point for Chillingworth and how does he change
He moves from human to inhumane. He is no longer evil, he is called the devil. Pearl calls him the Black Man
How does Pearl connect her parents in the graveyard
She throws burrs at both of them representing the pain she causes both of them
How does Dimmesdale cope with his guilty conscience
He tortures himself by beating himself and by fasting
When does the reader become aware that Chillingworth is powerless to the outcome of the novel
When the big A appears in the sky
What are some of the changes that occur in Hester when she moves from a passionate thinker to a logical thinker
Rather than acting in her feelings she depends on logic and becomes willing to challenge Chillingworth
When confronted by Pearl about the Scarlet letter what transpires? Why is it significant
Pearl freaks out because she feels like Hester threw her away by taking off the Scarlet letter
What is important about the sunshine the pearl plays in, in the forest
Only she can touch it, Hester cannot. This implies that where Hester goes trouble follows
What does pearl point out about the suffering of Hester and Dimmesdale
Hester is suffering in public and Dimmesdale is suffering privately
What changes follow the meeting of Hester and Dimmesdale in the woods for Hester Dinsdale and pearl
Hester becomes more confident; Dimmesdale spins out of control and begins to think impure thoughts; Pearl starts to calm her ways
What is the plan for escaping from New England? How is it foiled
They are going on a ship; Chillingworth gets on the ship as a doctor
What is the importance of Mr. sevens in the final few chapters of the novel
She foreshadows that they will all be together in the afterlife since they are all sinners
What are the circumstances surrounding Dimmesdale’s death
He preaches the best sermon of his life, he shows the A, and he dies. The spell is broken and pearls errand as a messenger of anguish is filled
What becomes of pearl
She goes on to live a happy life, gets married and has children, inherits a small fortune from Chillingworth, and stays in touch with her mom
Choose two examples of foreshadowing from the novel and explain what the foreshadowing is about
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What is the significance about the setting when the book begins?
It begins at the prison which represents the strict Puritan laws and the inability to break free from these laws.
