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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. When Pearl will not cross the brook, what does Hester tell her she can leap like?
2. This group in the procession referred to in the title of Chapter 22 was showing "a stamp of majesty that made the warrior's haughty stride look vulgar"?
3. What color is the letter A Pearl fashions for herself out of natural objects ?
4. Who, according to the narrator, is at the "head of the social system" in Puritan times?
5. Where does Dimmesdale hold his hand often throughout the novel?
Short Essay Questions
1. When Dimmesdale refuses to travel and quit his post as minister, how does Hester change his mind?
2. Where does Dimmesdale go at the beginning of Chapter 12, and why?
3. What does Pearl do with the seaweed she finds, and what does it show about her as a character?
4. What, according to the narrator, enlivened the public holiday with "some diversity of hue?"
5. In Chapter 14, why is Chillingworth in the woods?
6. Why does Hester's heart sink when she sees Dimmesdale in the procession during the public holiday?
7. Why do Hester and Pearl gather with other townspeople at the beginning of Chapter 21?
8. Describe the three suspected causes of the "A" carved into Dimmesdale's chest.
9. How does Hawthorne describe Dimmesdale, either physically or emotionally, at the beginning of Chapter 13?
10. Why will Hester and Dimmesdale have to head back to Europe, instead of moving somewhere more rural or remote?
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
This novel relies on symbolism to tell its story of psychological torment. Pick several of the major symbols or symbolic systems at work in the novel, describe them in terms of Hawthorne's fictional technique and offer an interpretation of their symbolic meaning on multiple levels.
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.
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This section contains 1,028 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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