View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The following description of clothing belongs to which community leader: "a dark feather in his hat, a border of embroidery on his cloak, and a black velvet tunic beneath"?

2. Which character is described as having a "wildflower prettiness?"

3. Why is Pearl's mother questioned about whether or not she should have custody of the baby?

4. What color is Hester's hair?

5. Who is Hester's legal husband?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Hester delivers gloves to the governor, what is the other reason for her going there?

2. Describe the door to the jail.

3. Why is Hester standing before the townsfolk in the beginning of the novel?

4. What are some examples of Chillingworth's growing power over Dimmesdale?

5. What is Dimmesdale's argument for keeping Hester and Pearl together?

6. Why does Hester stay in town after she is released from jail in Chapter 5?

7. What does Hawthorne say the purpose of the eagle is, which hangs in front of the building?

8. Why does Dimmesdale not see through Chillingworth and understand his true (nefarious) agenda, according to the narrator in Chapter 10?

9. Name one of the two reasons Hawthorne suspects that the plant standing outside the prison survived.

10. What has happened to the original spirit of the town of Salem, as in, to the legacy of the original founders?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Much of the emotional struggle in this novel comes from a tension between public shame and private guilt. In an analytical essay, explain what each of these terms means in the scope of this novel, and how Hawthorne dramatizes each idea. Be sure to interpret them in terms of the fictional elements (characterization, setting, plot action, mood, etc.) Hawthorne uses to demonstrate them.

Essay Topic 3

Hester Prynne is a single mother in Puritan New England. Explain and analyze the way Hawthorne characterizes her, using specific examples of his technique, as well as the way he dramatizes her psychology. Be sure to consider the choices Hester makes/is forced to make throughout the novel. Is Hester a strong character or a weak one? What do you think of the way she has conducted herself? Back up your arguments with specific textual examples.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 853 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample