Imagery/ Symbolism: Rose bush and Prison- Good and bad things are in the world together and not realizing how close they are to each other. One example of this applies to Hester and her child because although Hester committed adultery, a beautiful life came out of it.
The Scarlet Letter- This is the symbol for adultery. Hester is looked upon differently and judged because of this. Similar to during the Holocaust and how the Jewish people were singled out because they were forced to wear the star of David
Crying Baby- Hester showed no emotion going back into the jail. Her baby started crying as soon as she went back in. This symbolized what she didn't say.
Character Behavior or Psychology: Women in the town- Very shallow, judgment, take out their insecurities on Hester. They only care about Hester's punishment and humiliation rather than the baby's health and well-being. They may fear that their husbands could be the father of Hester's child.
Hester- She is a strong independent woman. She doesn't seem to care what other people think. She defied her religion with committing adultery and refusing to reveal the father of the child. She doesn't want to shame upon the man who she has the child with.
The Church is not understanding whatsoever, they aren't taking into consideration the life that came out of this "sin" Hester has committed.
Interesting Passages (note the page number): (pg 39-40, lines 19-6) This passage contains a lot of symbolism about the rose bush such as what we mentioned about good and evil living in the world together. It sets the scene for the following chapters and a lot is revealed about the town.
Questions: Why doesn't Hester's husband want her to expose the baby's father or get him involved?
Why is Hester remaining so strong through this entire situation?
Why is the letter scarlet?
Did Hester plan on having sexual relations with the man who got her pregnant? Was she raped?
Predictions you have: The baby's father is an important member of the church
Hester may have been raped and is bearing the guilt and embarrassment of being raped
Hester may have been threatened to not tell who the baby's father is
Chapter 7-10
• Imagery/ Symbolism:
Hester dressing Pearl in clothing that contains scarlet
In the governor's home, Pearl points out many symbols that may contain evil. For one, the armor in which Hester's red A is reflected or the witches.
Leech- Chillingworth is appearing to help the Reverend like a leech does intentionally, but then as the leech continues it begins to kill and suck the life from its host. Like a leech, Chillingworth clings to Dimmesdale's side
Pearl laughing in a cemetery is quite ironic because she is already considered a demon child, so to be laughing in such a dark place further solidifies that fact
• Character Behavior or Psychology:
Pearl and Chillingworth are being associated with the devil/demon
The Church is quick to judge how Pearl is being raised
Hester is worried that Pearl will be looked at as a demon child because she won't answer questions about God correctly
Hester sees Chillingworth as much uglier probably because she associates him with guilt
Hester considers joining the witches, which is interesting because she's already an outcast so if she joins these witches she might be shunned completely
Chillingworth is very deceiving in choosing to live with Reverend Dimmesdale because he obviously has ulterior motives
Chillingworth finally uncovers something on the ministers chest, while the reader is unaware of what it may be. The fact that Chillingworth is delighted shows how he has basically turned over to the dark side and lost most of his moral values
• Interesting Passages (note the page number):
(pg.95, lines 25-29) Pearl passes by the rosebush from the beginning of the story, explaining how good and evil are always together. Often sometimes in the same room. In addition a rose bush has thorns, so that may be the "evil" part of the beauty.
(pg 116, lines 1-18)
Pearl states that the "Black Man" (the Devil) has taken hold of the minister. She starts laughing and clapping in the graveyard which we thought was bizarre.
• Questions/ Predictions you have: The Reverend is Pearl's father.
Chillingworth has found a huge "A" on the ministers chest
Pearl is going to eventually reveal who her father is
What is Chillingworth going to do with his new found information about the Reverend?
Chillingworth is going to wrongly accuse someone of adultery
Are Hester and Chillingworth ever going to speak?
• Other (connections to modern life or your personal life):
The Art Of The Water
Question 15
It’s foreshadowing because they talk about “strove to go deep into his patient’s bosom” and Dimsdale had the identical letter on his bosom and Chillingworth was EVIL. “the dark cavern” is that everyone sees Chillingworth as darkness and the black man.
He was looking for a jewel, and scarlet and jewel, Dimsdale had speculations that were true
Chillingworth was trying to find the scarlet letter while Dimsdale was asleep, but he was only half asleep because he was guarding the letter with his life because he doesn’t want anyone to know
Question 16
The symbolic significance is that Dimsdale’s vigil takes place at night so nobody’s there to see him just like nobody found out about his sin unlike Hester’s appearance was during the day and everyone saw her, and just like Dimsdale hides his A while Hester shows it
Chapters 14-16
• Imagery/ Symbolism:
“The black man” as Chillingworth and Dimmesdale are referred to by Pearl, can symbolize them as the devil because she’s too young to understand what’s fully going on, but she gets a sense that Dimmesdale and Hester had something going on between the two of them even though she is too naïve to know it was adultery. She also gets a sense that there is some kind of evil to Chillingworth. Pearl realizes that Dimmesdale clutches his heart a lot, which symbolizes that Chillingworth said earlier that when people are buried, a secret is buried with them in their heart, foreshadowing that Dimmesdale has a secret in his heart. The forest represents secrets because anyone can be themselves in private, and expose their secrets, which contradicts puritan views in general because the Puritans left England so they could leave freely, yet they still find themselves hiding and keeping secrets.
• Character Behavior or Psychology:
Hester shows her love for Dimmesdale by asking Chillingworth to show mercy upon him. Chillingworth’s angst towards Dimmesdale grows significantly, as he realizes how evil he has become, and he’s lost his true self in the evil. Hester also begins to show her anger towards Chillingworth and she feels he is threatening Dimmesdale’s life as she realizes how much she hates him. Pearl doesn’t recognize Hester without the “A”, as she feels it is apart of her. Pearl is extremely perceptive in this chapter and demonstrates it by linking the “A” on Hester’s chest to Dimmesdales constant notion of clutching his heart.
• Interesting Passages (note the page number):
Pg. 158 lines 8-16 Pearl is questioning Hester and it shows that Pearl is very aware of a deeper meaning to the scarlet letter and she feels like her mother is keeping secrets and Hester avoids Pearls questions
• Questions/ Predictions you have:
- Why is Pearl so perceptive at such a young age?
- Why is Hester all of a sudden displaying such hatred toward Chillingworth, when she should’ve hated him this much all along?
- Will Hester tell Dimmesdale the truth about Chillingworth, and what will his reaction be?
- Does Dimmesdale already know the true identity of Chillingworth?
- Will Hester ever tell Pearl the true meaning of the “A” on her chest?
- Does Hester truly believe that the “A” will ever actually fall off her chest?
- Prediction: Chillingworth is going to try and stop Hester and Dimmesdale from running away by kidnapping Pearl.
• Other (connections to modern life or your personal life):
- Just like Dimmesdale abuses himself and puts himself through misery because of his ongoing guilt about his sin, and people cut themselves and torture themselves to feel pain because they feel it is remorseful and the only sense of control they have, hoping it will numb the mental pain.
Chapters 17-21
Imagery/Symbolism: Sunlight brightens the forest once Hester removes her "A" which is interesting because in previous chapters Pearl states that the A is what keeps sunlight and happiness out of her mothers life
"A" represents Dimmesdale and Hester's sins, so the fact that Hester brings him close to it, he feels the effect of the A
Scarlet letter gives Hester empowerment, rather than the intended object of the "A" to make her an outcast
When Hester throws the "A" it does not land in the moving water instead it lands on stable ground, symbolizes the fact that the "A" will never go away, the water can't take it away
Hester rips off her A but it comes back to her, proving that she will never be able to escape her past
Hester calls Dimmesdale by his first name, symbolizes the actual intimacy between the two
The Puritans came to America to flee persecution in England and now Hester has to leave this new land because of the persecution she is suffering, symbolizing irony that people more often than not repeat history and become things they swore they wouldn't
Character Behavior or Psychology:
Hester and Dimmesdale are claiming Chillingworth is an even worse sinner than they are
Pearl is very skeptical about her mother after she removes the "A" proves that Pearl is more accepting of it than Hester is
When Hester removes the A, Pearl feels somewhat abandoned because Pearl wears scarlet too, so she feels a connection with her mom through the color scarlet
Hester feels that throwing her A away shows how carefree she has become
Interesting Passages:
Pg. 186 lines 10-14
Shows that Pearl is not comfortable when Hester is not wearing the A. When Pearl kisses her mom she also kisses the A. Pearl has always known her mom to wear the A, so the familiarity makes her feel comfortable and safe.
Questions: What will happen between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale when they are all on the boat together?
How did Chillingworth find out they were choosing to flee?
What will happen between Hester and Dimmesdale once they get to Europe?
Will Pearl ever accept Dimmesdale as her father?
Predictions: Chillingworth and Dimmesdale are both going to become ill and die on the boat
Hester's family won't accept her and her mistakes
Or Hester just won't tell her family and come up with a false story
Sid "Shaniqua"Gold
Rowanda Katz
Foster Spellman
Sacagawea Figueroa
Chapter 1-3
Imagery/ Symbolism:
Rose bush and Prison- Good and bad things are in the world together and not realizing how close they are to each other.
One example of this applies to Hester and her child because although Hester committed adultery, a beautiful life came out of it.
The Scarlet Letter- This is the symbol for adultery. Hester is looked upon differently and judged because of this. Similar to during the Holocaust and how the Jewish people were singled out because they were forced to wear the star of David
Crying Baby- Hester showed no emotion going back into the jail. Her baby started crying as soon as she went back in. This symbolized what she didn't say.
Character Behavior or Psychology:
Women in the town- Very shallow, judgment, take out their insecurities on Hester. They only care about Hester's punishment and humiliation rather than the baby's health and well-being. They may fear that their husbands could be the father of Hester's child.
Hester- She is a strong independent woman. She doesn't seem to care what other people think. She defied her religion with committing adultery and refusing to reveal the father of the child. She doesn't want to shame upon the man who she has the child with.
The Church is not understanding whatsoever, they aren't taking into consideration the life that came out of this "sin" Hester has committed.
Interesting Passages (note the page number):
(pg 39-40, lines 19-6)
This passage contains a lot of symbolism about the rose bush such as what we mentioned about good and evil living in the world together. It sets the scene for the following chapters and a lot is revealed about the town.
Questions:
Why doesn't Hester's husband want her to expose the baby's father or get him involved?
Why is Hester remaining so strong through this entire situation?
Why is the letter scarlet?
Did Hester plan on having sexual relations with the man who got her pregnant? Was she raped?
Predictions you have:
The baby's father is an important member of the church
Hester may have been raped and is bearing the guilt and embarrassment of being raped
Hester may have been threatened to not tell who the baby's father is
Chapter 7-10
• Imagery/ Symbolism:
Hester dressing Pearl in clothing that contains scarlet
In the governor's home, Pearl points out many symbols that may contain evil. For one, the armor in which Hester's red A is reflected or the witches.Leech- Chillingworth is appearing to help the Reverend like a leech does intentionally, but then as the leech continues it begins to kill and suck the life from its host. Like a leech, Chillingworth clings to Dimmesdale's side
Pearl laughing in a cemetery is quite ironic because she is already considered a demon child, so to be laughing in such a dark place further solidifies that fact
• Character Behavior or Psychology:
Pearl and Chillingworth are being associated with the devil/demon
The Church is quick to judge how Pearl is being raised
Hester is worried that Pearl will be looked at as a demon child because she won't answer questions about God correctly
Hester sees Chillingworth as much uglier probably because she associates him with guilt
Hester considers joining the witches, which is interesting because she's already an outcast so if she joins these witches she might be shunned completely
Chillingworth is very deceiving in choosing to live with Reverend Dimmesdale because he obviously has ulterior motives
Chillingworth finally uncovers something on the ministers chest, while the reader is unaware of what it may be. The fact that Chillingworth is delighted shows how he has basically turned over to the dark side and lost most of his moral values
• Interesting Passages (note the page number):
(pg.95, lines 25-29)Pearl passes by the rosebush from the beginning of the story, explaining how good and evil are always together. Often sometimes in the same room. In addition a rose bush has thorns, so that may be the "evil" part of the beauty.
(pg 116, lines 1-18)
Pearl states that the "Black Man" (the Devil) has taken hold of the minister. She starts laughing and clapping in the graveyard which we thought was bizarre.
• Questions/ Predictions you have: The Reverend is Pearl's father.
Chillingworth has found a huge "A" on the ministers chest
Pearl is going to eventually reveal who her father is
What is Chillingworth going to do with his new found information about the Reverend?
Chillingworth is going to wrongly accuse someone of adultery
Are Hester and Chillingworth ever going to speak?
• Other (connections to modern life or your personal life):
The Art Of The Water
Question 15
- It’s foreshadowing because they talk about “strove to go deep into his patient’s bosom” and Dimsdale had the identical letter on his bosom and Chillingworth was EVIL. “the dark cavern” is that everyone sees Chillingworth as darkness and the black man.
- He was looking for a jewel, and scarlet and jewel, Dimsdale had speculations that were true
- Chillingworth was trying to find the scarlet letter while Dimsdale was asleep, but he was only half asleep because he was guarding the letter with his life because he doesn’t want anyone to know
Question 16Chapters 14-16
• Imagery/ Symbolism:
“The black man” as Chillingworth and Dimmesdale are referred to by Pearl, can symbolize them as the devil because she’s too young to understand what’s fully going on, but she gets a sense that Dimmesdale and Hester had something going on between the two of them even though she is too naïve to know it was adultery. She also gets a sense that there is some kind of evil to Chillingworth. Pearl realizes that Dimmesdale clutches his heart a lot, which symbolizes that Chillingworth said earlier that when people are buried, a secret is buried with them in their heart, foreshadowing that Dimmesdale has a secret in his heart. The forest represents secrets because anyone can be themselves in private, and expose their secrets, which contradicts puritan views in general because the Puritans left England so they could leave freely, yet they still find themselves hiding and keeping secrets.
• Character Behavior or Psychology:
Hester shows her love for Dimmesdale by asking Chillingworth to show mercy upon him. Chillingworth’s angst towards Dimmesdale grows significantly, as he realizes how evil he has become, and he’s lost his true self in the evil. Hester also begins to show her anger towards Chillingworth and she feels he is threatening Dimmesdale’s life as she realizes how much she hates him. Pearl doesn’t recognize Hester without the “A”, as she feels it is apart of her. Pearl is extremely perceptive in this chapter and demonstrates it by linking the “A” on Hester’s chest to Dimmesdales constant notion of clutching his heart.
• Interesting Passages (note the page number):
Pg. 158 lines 8-16Pearl is questioning Hester and it shows that Pearl is very aware of a deeper meaning to the scarlet letter and she feels like her mother is keeping secrets and Hester avoids Pearls questions
• Questions/ Predictions you have:
- Why is Pearl so perceptive at such a young age?
- Why is Hester all of a sudden displaying such hatred toward Chillingworth, when she should’ve hated him this much all along?
- Will Hester tell Dimmesdale the truth about Chillingworth, and what will his reaction be?
- Does Dimmesdale already know the true identity of Chillingworth?
- Will Hester ever tell Pearl the true meaning of the “A” on her chest?
- Does Hester truly believe that the “A” will ever actually fall off her chest?
- Prediction: Chillingworth is going to try and stop Hester and Dimmesdale from running away by kidnapping Pearl.
• Other (connections to modern life or your personal life):
- Just like Dimmesdale abuses himself and puts himself through misery because of his ongoing guilt about his sin, and people cut themselves and torture themselves to feel pain because they feel it is remorseful and the only sense of control they have, hoping it will numb the mental pain.
Chapters 17-21
Imagery/Symbolism:
Sunlight brightens the forest once Hester removes her "A" which is interesting because in previous chapters Pearl states that the A is what keeps sunlight and happiness out of her mothers life
"A" represents Dimmesdale and Hester's sins, so the fact that Hester brings him close to it, he feels the effect of the A
Scarlet letter gives Hester empowerment, rather than the intended object of the "A" to make her an outcast
When Hester throws the "A" it does not land in the moving water instead it lands on stable ground, symbolizes the fact that the "A" will never go away, the water can't take it away
Hester rips off her A but it comes back to her, proving that she will never be able to escape her past
Hester calls Dimmesdale by his first name, symbolizes the actual intimacy between the two
The Puritans came to America to flee persecution in England and now Hester has to leave this new land because of the persecution she is suffering, symbolizing irony that people more often than not repeat history and become things they swore they wouldn't
Character Behavior or Psychology:
Hester and Dimmesdale are claiming Chillingworth is an even worse sinner than they are
Pearl is very skeptical about her mother after she removes the "A" proves that Pearl is more accepting of it than Hester is
When Hester removes the A, Pearl feels somewhat abandoned because Pearl wears scarlet too, so she feels a connection with her mom through the color scarlet
Hester feels that throwing her A away shows how carefree she has become
Interesting Passages:
Pg. 186 lines 10-14
Shows that Pearl is not comfortable when Hester is not wearing the A. When Pearl kisses her mom she also kisses the A. Pearl has always known her mom to wear the A, so the familiarity makes her feel comfortable and safe.
Questions:
What will happen between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale when they are all on the boat together?
How did Chillingworth find out they were choosing to flee?
What will happen between Hester and Dimmesdale once they get to Europe?
Will Pearl ever accept Dimmesdale as her father?
Predictions:
Chillingworth and Dimmesdale are both going to become ill and die on the boat
Hester's family won't accept her and her mistakes
Or Hester just won't tell her family and come up with a false story