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Chapter 4 – “The Interview”25. Hester is completely nervous and anxious about the fact her husband was in the crowd. 26. The jailor calls the doctor because he is afraid she is going to hurt herself or the baby, as the baby is writhing in pain as if Hester’s breast milk is passing on her anguish into the child.

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Roger Chillingworth• The people of the

colony are going to pay ransom to free him from the Natives.

• He is not really a doctor – he learned herbal medicine from the Indians.

• He is Hester’s long-lost husband.

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Revenge and More Secrets• Chillingworth gives them both medicine to calm them

down. Hester is at first afraid that he will hurt the child. • Chillingworth explains that Pearl has done nothing

wrong and that he wants Hester to suffer her life-long punishment.

• He only wants to punish Pearl’s father.• He vows he will find out the true identity of the father

and seek revenge.• Hester agrees not to tell anyone that he is her

husband, however she feels as if she has bargained for the ruin of her soul.

• Chillingworth responds, “Not thine.” This is foreshadowing.

• Chillingworth is directly called the devil, “The Black Man,” by Hester.

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Chapter 5 – “Hester at Her Needle”• Hester is released

from prison.• She doesn’t like how

the sun shines on her ‘A’, drawing attention to it.

• Hester has become the general symbol of “woman’s frailty and sinful passion.”

• When she dies, only the letter ‘A’ will mark her grave.

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Why didn’t Hester leave?

• Hester COULD HAVE LEFT but she decides to stay in Boston for three reasons:– She feels drawn to the place that marked a great change or growth in

her life. This is where she sinned, so this is where she feels connected.– The gentleman who fathered her baby still resides in Boston.– She feels she must repent her sins by staying and doing what she can

for forgiveness.

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42. What talent did Hester use to support herself and Pearl ?

She used her talent for sewing, making clothes

for public ceremonies as well as funerals.

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43. What garment is Hester not allowed to sew? Why?

She was never asked to make “the white veil which was cover the pure blushes of a bride” (86).

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44. Why type of dress did Hester wear? Pearl ?

• She wore clothes of coarse fabrics in sad colors.

• She dressed Pearl in fancy clothes very unlike what was considered appropriate and modest to Puritans.

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45. What does Hester do that shows she has a charitable nature?

• She makes and gives clothes to the poor.

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46. How did the poor, the ladies of Boston, the clergy, and the children treat Hester?

Poor: hated her even though she made them clothes.

Ladies of Boston: They either ignored her or insulted her to her face.

Clergy:a. They stopped her in the street and started sermonizing about sin, drawing a crowd.b. When Hester would go to Church, the sermons were about her.

Children: would chase her in the streets, yelling mean things at her that they heard from their parents.

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47. What special knowledge does Hester feel the Scarlet Letter gives her?

• Hester feels the ‘A’ gives her knowledge of when other people have hidden sins.

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48. Why was a familiar look upon her ‘A’ more painful than someone seeing it for the first time?

It was more painful because it reinforced that the punishment would never end.

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Chapter 6 – “Pearl”• Pearl’s personality is nothing like that of

the appearance of a pearl from an oyster – she is not calm or unimpassioned.

• Hester named her baby Pearl, “as being of great price,--purchased with all she had…” (92).

Pearls are actually a natural mistake, yet are things of great beauty. How is this like Pearl?

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• Pearl was called a sprite, an imp, an elf—all alluding to her expected terror-like behavior being the product of sin

• Hester admitted that the only times she felt as peace was when Pearl was asleep

• Hester knows that Pearl was given to her to remind her of her sin; Pearl saw to it that her mother “paid the price”

• Pearl is the MORAL OF THE STORY; She is the truth and lives it, therefore she is happy.

• The truth must be revealed for happiness to be realized.

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Direct Characterization of Pearl – Ch. 6• “little creature”• “lovely and immortal flower”• Symbol of Hester’s sin• Physically perfect• “Native grace…faultless beauty”• Hester dressed Pearl like the ‘A’ itself• “Wild-flower prettiness of a peasant-baby, and the pomp…of an infant

princess.”• “The child could not be made amenable to rules.”• “In giving her existence, a great law had been broken; and the result was

a being whose elements were perhaps beautiful and brilliant, but all in disorder; or with an order peculiar to themselves.”

• “Wild, desperate, defiant mood…flightiness of temper”• Airy sprite• “wild, bright, deeply-black eyes”• Elfish look in her eyes• Sprite-like intelligence• Possessed by an evil spirit• Demon offspring• “wild and flighty little elf” (Ch. 8)

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Indirect Characterization• “flit[s] away with a mocking smile”• Pearl used objects of nature as her toys:– Used her imagination and funny voices to play.– The trees were the Puritan elders– The weeds were Puritan children and she would

uproot them.• She threw rocks at children who teased her.• Threw flowers at her mother’s ‘A’• Stood and stared at Hester and then started

laughing.• Begs her mother to tell her where she (Pearl)

came from.

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Nature SymbolismIn the previous examples of Indirect

and Direct characterization, highlight the examples that symbolize Pearl’s

connection with nature. Her connection with nature is symbolic of two things:

1.Pearl was created in nature – a place where Hester and the father were free to be with each other.

2.This represents one characteristic of the literary period Romanticism – that nature is a place of refuge and freedom.

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52. Where do the townspeople believe she came from?

THE DEVIL

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Chapters 7 & 8

“The Governor’s Hall”“The Elf Child and the Minister”

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53. What are the TWO reasons Hester is going to the governor’s mansion?

a. She was hired to make gloves for the governor and is delivering them.

b. She heard rumor that the magistrates want to take Pearl from her.

IRONY & HYPOCRISY: She is good enough to make their important clothing, yet they try to take her child.

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The Puritans54. Why do the Puritans want to take Pearl out of

Hester’s custody?They felt Pearl was of “demon origin” and was a “stumbling-block” in Hester’s redemption. 55. Quotation - Fill in the blank ________:

“At that epoch of pristine simplicity, however, matters of even slighter public interest … were mixed up with the deliberations of legislators and acts of state … a dispute concerning the right of property in a __PIG___ not only caused a fierce and bitter contest in the legislative body of the colony, but resulted in an important modification of the framework itself of the legislature” (104).

 56. How do the Puritan children treat Pearl? How does Pearl react?They call her the likeness of the scarlet letter and throw mud at her. Pearl would scream and shout back at them, scaring them into submission.

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57. Describe the Governor’s mansion. How is this symbolic of Puritan hypocrisy?

• It is a large wooden house.

• Sunny windows• Stained glass• Compared to

“Aladdin’s palace”• Detailed and

ornate decorations. • Suits of Armor

THIS SHOWS THE HYPOCRISY OF THE PURITAN GOVERNMENT, AS PURITAN BELIEFS WERE TO LIVE A SIMPLE AND PLAIN LIFE WITHOUT “HEATHENISH ADORNMENTS”

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58. Who is visiting with the governor?

• Reverend John Wilson• Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale• ‘Doctor’ Roger Chillingworth

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The Suit of Armor59. What happens when Hester

stands in front of the suit of armor? Pearl points out that she sees Hester in the reflection of the breastplate. When Hester turns to look, the shape of the armor so greatly exaggerates the scarlet letter.

 60. What does the suit of armor

symbolize? Suits of armor were worn by Knights who were known for their manners and gentility. It symbolized this traditional notion of what is proper and noble. Hester’s sin is highlighted in comparison to these old-fashioned notions, hence the symbolism of the ‘A’ enlarging and distorting in the breastplate.

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Draw a picture of what Pearl cries for at the end of the chapter.

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Create a symbol to represent each of the following men:

Governor Bellingham

Rev. John Wilson

Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale

Roger Chillingworth

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63. Pearl is again associated with nature, as a “little bird of scarlet plumage.” Who calls her this? Why does he call her this?

John Wilson comments on Pearl’s clothing, as Hester dresses her in vibrant red dresses. Here is another symbolic connection to nature.

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64. Why does Bellingham want to take Pearl from Hester? What is Hester’s argument for keeping her? He thinks that Hester will not be able to teach her how to be a good, devout Puritan. Hester responds that Pearl teaches and tortures her everyday, so she will be able to teach her well.

65. How does Bellingham test Pearl’s knowledge of religion? He asks Pearl who made her.

66. What is Pearl’s response to this question? Pearl knew “well enough” who made her, but tells Bellingham that she was plucked from the rosebush by the prison-door.

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67. How has Chillingworth changed in physical appearance?

Chillingworth is characterized as even more deformed, more evil“Old Roger Chillingworth, with a smile on his face, whispered something in the young clergyman's ear. Hester Prynne looked at the man of skill, and even then, with her fate hanging in the balance, was startled to perceive what a change had come over his features,—how much uglier they were,—how his dark complexion seemed to have grown duskier, and his figure more misshapen,—since the days when she had familiarly known him. She met his eyes for an instant, but was immediately constrained to give all her attention to the scene now going forward” (115).

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68. Fill in the blanks: “‘She is my __________!—she is my

___________, none the less! Pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too! See ye not, she is _____________, only capable of being  loved, and so endowed with a million-fold the power of retribution for my sin? Ye shall not take her! I will die first!’” (_____).

69. Who does Hester then turn to for help?Hester turns to Dimmesdale.

happinesstorture

the scarlet letter

116

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70. How is Arthur Dimmesdale physically described?Dimmesdale appears physically sick; he constantly has his hand over his heart.71. Dimmesdale supports Hester in her wanting to keep her child. Chillingworth thinks Dimmesdale “speaks with a strange earnestness” when he defends Hester. What does Chillingworth suspect?He suspects that Dimmesdale is Pearl’s father.

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72. What does Pearl do that is completely out of character for her?

• Pearl went to Dimmesdale after he defended Hester and her.

• She took both of his hands in hers and put her cheek against his hands.

• Dimmesdale bent down and kissed her forehead.

• Dimmesdale loves her.• In a way, he was exposing the truth, the

moral of the story.• It made Pearl happy.

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73. John Wilson then characterizes Pearl as a ___________________.

74. Who does Chillingworth want to psychology study? Who calls this a “profane philosophy”?

He wants to study Pearl, but Rev. John Wilson calls psychology a vulgar science. This shows the religious rejection of this type of medicine.

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75. Mistress Hibbins tempts Hester to join her and the other witches in the woods. Why does Hester decline? What does the narrator say this proves?

• Hester declines, saying she must go home to take care of Pearl. If the magistrates had taken Pearl, then she would have gladly joined her.

• The narrator says how this proves that Dimmesdale was right in saying that Pearl saves Hester’s soul and therefore she should be allowed to keep her.