The Scarlet Letter Discussion Guide:

Have a gander at our take
on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s
The Scarlet Letter

T
hen, use this discussion guide to inspire in-depth thinking, and jump-start a conversation about this banned book. There’s plenty here to set your mental wheels in motion.

1. Needless to say, the defining feature of Hawthorne’s book is its highly-charged central symbol, the scarlet letter itself. How does the letter function in the work, and does its meaning evolve over time?
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2. Hawthorne is said to have added a W to his name to distance himself from his Puritan ancestors, especially his great-great-grandfather who was the chief interrogator during the Salem Witch Trials. Do you see this mindset reflected in The Scarlet Letter? How does Hawthorne depict the Puritan society of Boston, Massachusetts during the 1600’s?
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3. The Scarlet Letter clearly examines the stern Puritan society associated with America’s origins. But, how does it reflect what was going on in America at the time Hawthorne wrote his famous book?
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4. How does Hawthorne reveal himself as an author, an authentic “editor” to impart this story as it relates to The Custom-House. How does his experience relate to understanding the novel? Compare his description of an arcane, crumbling trading port and its aging patronage powers-that-be, with the arcane institutions in the novel.
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5. Hester Prynne is often regarded as the first significant modern heroine of American literature. How does Hester’s character evolve throughout the work? And how does her development alter the way Puritan Boston looks at her?
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6. The Scarlet Letter is often referred to as a novel. It is, in fact, a romance (which is not to say a romance novel). What is the difference between these two types of long fiction? And how does the Romantic form shape the characters of Chillingworth, Dimmesdale, and Hester Prynne?
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7. You can’t discuss The Scarlet Letter without talking about Pearl. She’s a complicated character. Hawthorne explicitly links her to the scarlet letter, in that Pearl is also a “token of [Hester’s] shame.” And like the scarlet letter, Pearl is highly symbolic. Besides being the literal embodiment of Hester and Dimmesdale’s sin, what does Pearl signify? And, does her symbol evolve over the course of the book?
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8. What is the significance or symbolism of Hester naming her daughter “Pearl.” What do you think her future holds after Hester’s death?
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9. How has Chillingworth’s appearance changed from his first appearance in The Scarlet Letter to his appearance in Chapter 8? What causes this change?
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10. Why does Hawthorne use old-fashioned language for the dialogue in The Scarlet Letter? Is that technique effective?

#Hawthorne      #symbol    #witch trials   #betwixt & between   #banned   #liminal     #Puritan