THE
SCARLET LETTER
REVIEW QUESTIONS
For
use with the Pearson Learning Pacemaker version of the novel
Answer all questions on a
separate piece of white lined paper!
1.
What religious group did Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ancestor’s belong to?
2.
What did Hawthorne think of his ancestors?
3.
What did Hawthorne find that gave him the idea for The Scarlet Letter?
4.
Why was Hawthorne lucky to lose
his job at the Custom House?
1.
A protagonist is the leading character of a story. Who is the protagonist
of The Scarlet Letter?
2.
Why is she being punished?
3.
What is her punishment?
4.
Who / what does she see in the crowd which upsets her so much that she
hugs her baby tightly?
5.
The authorities of the town offer to lessen her sentence if she will do
one thing. What do they want her to do?
6. What town is the setting for the story?
Chapter 2: The Interview
1.
Why did the jailer, Master Brackett, send for a doctor?
2.
What was the doctor’s name?
3.
How is the doctor related to Hester?
4.
What secret does the doctor tell Hester to keep?
5.
What does the doctor want Hester to tell him?
6.
How does Hester make a living after she leaves jail?
7.
What was Hester’s daughter’s name?
8.
Describe Pearl’s personality
Chapter 3: A VISIT TO THE GOVERNOR
1.
Name the two reasons why Hester went to visit Governor Bellingham.
2.
Who was with Governor Bellingham when Hester went to his house?
3.
Why did the Governor want to take Pearl away from Hester?
4.
Who is Governor Bellingham’s sister?
5.
Why did Pearl start crying outside of the Governor’s home?
6.
What was the question that Reverend Wilson asked Pearl?
7.
Where does Mistress Hibbins invite Hester to go?
8. Who became a friend of Reverend Dimmesdale?
CHAPTER
4: An Evil
Doctor
1.
How did Roger Chillingworth try to help Reverend Dimmesdale?
2.
What did the doctor think was the cause of Chillingworth’s illness?
3.
Why do you think the doctor told Dimmesdale the story about weeds growing on a
grave?
4.
The story says Chillingworth’s face had a “wild look of wonder, joy and
horror” on it.
What do you think Chillingworth saw when he opened Dimmesdale’s shirt?
5.
What did Chillingworth secretly plan to do?
6.
Name three ways in which Reverend Dimmesdale tried to lift his feelings of
guilt?
7. Why won’t Hester tell Reverend Dimmesdale the identity of Roger Chillingworth?
1.
How many years have passed since Hester first stood on the scaffold wearing a
scarlet letter A on her chest?
2.
Why does Hester decide that Reverend Dimmesdale needs some help?
3.
What does Hester do in order to help Dimmesdale”
4.
How has Hester’s appearance changed since the start of the novel?
5.
Has people’s opinion of Hester changed? If so, how has it changed?
6.
What one sin has she committed that was greater than her adultery?
7. Why does Hester feel sorry for Chillingworth?
CHAPTER 6: A MEETING IN THE WOODS
1.
What embarrassing question does Pearl ask
her mother?
2.
How does Hester react to Pearl’s question?
3.
Nathanial Hawthorne uses light and dark (or sunshine and shadow) as symbols in
this chapter.
What do they symbolize in this chapter?
4.
Who does Hester meet in the woods in this chapter?
5. Both Hester and Dimmesdale are suffering from a useless
emotion. What is that emotion?
6.
How does Hester help Dimmesdale in this chapter?
CHAPTER 7: A PLAN TO GO AWAY
1.
What does Hester tell Dimmesdale to do so that he can be free from Roger
Chillingworth?
CHAPTER 8:
A CHANGED MAN
1.
On what special day was Reverend Dimmesdale suppose to give an important sermon?
2.
What strange difference did Reverend Dimmesdale notice about himself as he
walked back into the town from the forest?
3.
What did Reverend Dimmesdale fear about himself because of his strange behavior?
4.
Who approached Reverend Dimmesdale and knew that he was in the forest?
5.
Whose help did Reverend Dimmesdale refuse when he returned to his home?
6.
Why did Reverend Dimmesdale stay up all night when he returned home?
1.
Paragraph five states that Puritans were not punished for talking to sailors.
Why is this proof that the Puritans seemed to have a double standard of
behavior?
2.
Why is Hester upset after she speaks to the captain of the ship that she will be
taking to England?
1.
How does Chillingworth try to influence Dimmesdale on Election Day?
2.
How does Reverend Dimmesdale free himself from guilt on Election Day?
3.
Why does Roger Chillingworth scream, “You have escaped me!”?
4.
How has Pearl’s behavior towards Reverend Dimmesdale changed?
5.
What was odd about the townspeople’s understanding of Reverend Dimmesdale’s
sermon?
6.
What ultimately happened to Reverend Dimmesdale?
7. What did Hester and Pearl do after Election Day?