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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. Whom does Dimmesdale set out to meet?
2. "Its ranks were filled with gentlemen, who felt the stirrings of martial impulse" describes which group of men in the procession referred to in the title of Chapter 22?
3. Next to whom is Hester Prynne eventually buried?
4. Why do Hester and Dimmesdale chose the place they do to escape to?
5. Dimmesdale claims that his scarlet letter burns how?
Short Essay Questions
1. In Chapter 16, Hester changes her story to Pearl about the significance of the scarlet letter. What does she say about the letter in Chapter 16?
2. In Chapter 14, what does Hester ask of Chillingworth?
3. What, according to the narrator, enlivened the public holiday with "some diversity of hue?"
4. Describe the three suspected causes of the "A" carved into Dimmesdale's chest.
5. In Chapter 13, Hawthorne says that some people would think that Hester's scarlet letter stands for "Able." Why?
6. Why will Hester and Dimmesdale have to head back to Europe, instead of moving somewhere more rural or remote?
7. Why does Chillingworth attempt to stop Hester and Pearl from joining Dimmesdale on the scaffold?
8. When Hester calls for Pearl to come to her in Chapter 19, Pearl will not move from her spot in the woods. What prevents her from going to her mother?
9. In Chapter 15, when Pearl asks Hester what the letter stands for, what does Hester reply?
10. Why does Hawthorne describe Pearl, in Chapter 19, as a "living hieroglyphic."
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Hawthorne's preface to this novel claims that he has gotten himself in trouble for an unflattering portrait of the Customs Inspector, yet nonetheless, the novel features many real historical people anyway. Take up one of these real historical persons (for example, Governor Bellingham or Mistress Hibbins) and offer a descriptive analysis of their role in the narrative. How does Hawthorne characterize these real historical people? To what dramatic purposes or fictional ends does he put them alongside the invented characters? Be sure to consider the role these minor characters play in the historical setting of this novel.
Essay Topic 2
Some critics might characterize parts of this work as feminist, particularly considering the role of Hester Prynne vis-a-vis her interactions with Governor Bellingham and the other public officials who want to take Pearl away from her. Argue this point in an analytical essay: does this particular sequence in the novel represent a feminist approach to custody? Decide whether you think so or not, and construct a well-reasoned argument that makes use of specific textual examples. (Note: there is no "right" answer: you can argue yes, no or maybe, as long as you construct a textual argument with specific and precise reasoning.)
Essay Topic 3
Offer a compare and contrast essay about the two major male characters in this book, Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth. Be sure to include analytical description of their looks and physical aspects, their emotional states, their motivations, and their conduct.
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This section contains 1,125 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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