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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. According to the narrator, what is the first thing that Pearl noticed, as a baby?
2. Who, in Chapter 5, is referred to as "the figure, the body, the reality of sin?"
3. What does Pearl desperately desire from the governor's garden?
4. The title of Chapter 5 refers to what?
5. The title of Chapter 8 is the what and "the Minister?"
Short Essay Questions
1. Why does Hawthorne say that it is ironic that Pearl is such a beautiful child, in Chapter 6?
2. Why does Dimmesdale not see through Chillingworth and understand his true (nefarious) agenda, according to the narrator in Chapter 10?
3. Why does Hester stay in town after she is released from jail in Chapter 5?
4. Describe the people referred to as the five in the following quotation: "If the hussy stood for judgment before us five, that are now here in a knot together"?
5. What is Dimmesdale's argument for keeping Hester and Pearl together?
6. Does Hawthorne, in the end, decide to change anything?
7. What does Hester refuse to do during this chapter 3, despite pressure from her neighbors?
8. How does Dimmesdale respond to his growing guilt? How does he punish himself?
9. Describe what Hawthorne's narrator thinks of Reverend Dimmesdale's voice.
10. How is Chillingworth able to see what Dimmesdale is hiding on his body?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Hawthorne plays with the notion of a happy ending near the end of the novel, teasing the reader with the notion that Dimmesdale and Hester might indeed live out a happily-ever-after ending. Consider the fates of the three major characters (Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth) and argue whether they experienced a happy ending or not. Be sure to use comparative analysis and textual examples.
Essay Topic 2
Specific colors play a role in telling the story, especially the colors red and black. While "red" is manifested in the scarlet letter (and other symbolic objects), "black" often remains a metaphorical color in this novel. Write an analytical essay that examines Hawthorne's use of these colors, in terms of metaphor as well as literal meaning in the novel.
Essay Topic 3
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.)
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This section contains 866 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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