Symbols
Three meanings of the letter A
What are adultery, angel, and able
Hawthorne's way of drawing readers into the story
What is dear reader? He talks directly to the reader.
"That old man's sin has been blacker than my sin...He has violated a human heart."
Who is Dimmesdale?
The number of years that pass in the story
What is 7 years?
Two suggestions about Pearl's life from Ch. 24
What are she is raised in Europe, marries in Europe, has a baby in Europe?
What is the sun?
This literary device makes readers speculate and read more carefully
What is ambiguity?
"This child of its father's guilt and its mother's shame hath come from the hand of God, to work in many ways upon her heart?"
Who is Dimmesdale?
Every new Puritan settlement must establish these two things
What are a jail and a cemetery?
Two things about Chillingworth from Ch. 24.
What are his death one year after Dimmesdale's and his leaving all his wealth to Pearl.
It represents goodness in the midst of hardship
What is the rosebush?
A story within a story
What is a frame story?
"Had they taken her from me, I would have willingly gone with thee into the forest"
Who is Hester Prynne?
The reason Hester was not put to death
What is her husband had been missing for 2 years
Ch. 24 states that Hester lives out her final days here
What is Boston?
The living, breathing scarlet letter
Who is Pearl?
Three main scenes happen at this place
What is the scaffold?
"He will be known! He will be known! He will be known!"
Who is Roger (Prynne) Chillingworth?
Hester and Dimmesdale want to start life over by doing this
What is leaving for/running away to Europe?
The mark that was on the minister's chest was this.
What is unknown?
It represents unconfessed sin and secrets
What is the forest?
Hawthorne is prejudiced against these people
Who are the Puritans?
"You wear the letter...for the same reason the minister keeps his hand over his heart"
Who is Pearl?
The storyline ends with Dimmesdale doing these two things
What are confessing and dying
After their deaths, Hester and Dimmesdale share this, though they are not buried in the same tomb.
What is a headstone that says, "On a field, sable, the letter A, gules."