| What does Hawthorne mean when he calls the colony a “utopia”? | What they were hoping for |
| What structures are required? Why? | A prison and cemetery. Because the Puritans recognize it is human nature to have crime and death. |
| Why does he point out the rose bush? | It is the hope to offset the bad in a dark place. |
| Who is Ann Hutchinson? | Immigrated to Boston in 1634. Influential religious leader with unorthodox beliefs. Arrested because she was seen as a threat to the civil then banished and killed by Indians |
| What two necessities, according to the author, must the founders of a new colony provide immediately to the community? | Land for a prison and cemetery |
| What is the occupation of the narrator? | Custom Officers |
| What is situated immediately outside the door of the prison in which Hester is kept? | A rose bush |
| What does the narrator offer the reader at the end of chapter 1? | A flower to serve as a symbol of a sweet moral lesson |
| Hawthorne introduces contrasting symbols early in Chapter 1 that will be used throughout the novel. These key symbols are… | Prison door, rose bush, scaffold |
| How long does Hester have to stand on the scaffold in public shame? | 3 hours, until 1 |
| What is Hester skilled at? | Sewing |
| What did the letter A stand for? | Adultery |
| How long must she wear the scarlet letter? | Rest of her life |
| Hester sees a disfigured man in the crowd at the end of Chapter 2. Who can we assume the man is? | Husband or baby daddy?? |
“The Scarlet Letter” Chapters 1 & 2 Reading Guide Questions
April 18, 2020