| What colony is the setting for the novel? | Massachusetts |
| Where in the colony does the opening chapter take place? | Outside the prison |
| What two possible symbols does the rose have for the reader? | Forgiveness and hope |
| Name two crimes and the punishments that the puritans might witness | Missing church on sabbath days, adultery, witches |
| Describe the Puritan women. | The Puritan women are cruel and wicked. |
| What punishments would the Puritan women have given Hester Prynne if it were left to them? | They would have branded or killed her. |
| Describe the appearance of Hester Prynne. | Tall, thick dark hair, pretty, ladylike, holding a baby |
| What is Hester’s sin? What is her punishment? | Adultery. To wear an “A” and to stand by the scaffold for 3 hours |
| What is astonishing about the “A” on her bodice? | It is fancy and artistically done |
| Why is Hester taken to the scaffold in the market-place? | It is part of her punishment. |
| What things does Hester think about while she is on the scaffold? | Her past (parents, husband), and her faith |
| How old is her baby? | 3 months |
| What detail is given to suggest the baby was born in jail? | The baby blinked when it saw sunlight and the book says that it spent it’s entire life in jail. |
| Describe the man who is standing on the outskirts of the crowd. | Small, intelligence, older, one shoulder was higher than the other. |
| What prior reference was made in Ch. 2 that reminds the reader of this man? | Hester’s husband |
| What gesture does he make to Hester that suggests he knows her? | He puts his finger to his lips. |
| What does the stranger learn from the townsman next to him? | What Hester did and what her punishment is. |
| Who is the father of Hester’s baby? | Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale |
| What is the usual punishment for adultery? Why is Hester’s punishment less server? | Death. The townspeople want to know who the father is. |
| What are Hester’s feelings towards the stranger? | She is scared of him. |
| Who is Bellingham? Who is John Wilson? | Bellingham is the governor of Massachusetts. John Wilson is a reverend, and elder clergyman. |
| What do Bellingham and Wilson want Hester to do? | Reveal the name of the father. |
| Describe Dimmesdale. | Young, striking, white eyebrows, large brown eyes. |
| What is his relationship to Hester? What does he ask her to reveal? | He is her minister and the father of her child. The name of the father. |
| Why won’t Hester name the child’s father? | To keep him from punishment. |
| Abate | Put an end to |
| Sojourn | A temporary stay |
| Peradventure | Perhaps |
| Albeit | Although |
| Ferror | Intensity of feeling or expression |
| Garb | Clothing |
| Transgressor | One who goes beyond the bounds of |
| Scaffold | A wooden platform used for the public execution of criminals |
| Baggage | A worthless or contemptible woman, prostitute |
| Beadle | A minor parish official whose duties include ushering and preserving order at services and sometimes civil functions |
| Abashed | To destroy the self-confidence of |
| Brazen | Marked by contemptuous boldness |
| Iniquity | Wickedness |
| Pillory | A means to expose one to public scorn and humility |
| Flagrant | Extremely or purposefully conspicuous usually because of uncommon objectionable or evil |
The Scarlet Letter Ch. 1-3
April 17, 2020