The Scarlet Letter Discussion Questions - 1333 Words

Sarah Miller Nelson AP Lang 9/23/15 The Scarlet Letter Discussion Questions: â€Å"Custom House† and Chapters 1-10 Nathaniel Hawthorne Background: Life and Times: Family: - Hawthorne’s father was born in Salem in 1775. - Hawthorne was haunted and intruiged by his paternal ancestors (the Hathornes) and mentioned them in his fiction works. These ancestors included a Quaker persecutor and a stern interrogator of accused witches. - Hawthorne’s mother was born in 1780, about a hundred years after her ancestors arrived in the New World. - His mother’s family (the Mannings) were blacksmiths and iron workers and also appeared in Hawthorne’s fiction. - After two of his works were published in 1830 under the name of Hathorne, he added the â€Å"w†. - Hawthorne married Sophia Peabody from Salem in 1842 and they had three children. They were wealthy and lived in Salem, Concord, and abroad. Biographical Information: - Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, MA. - Although he lived in Boston and Maine as well, most of his life was spent in Salem. - In 1846 Hawthorne took the position of Surveyor of the Port at the Salem Custom House. After a change in political administration in 1849, he lost his job. - After his lost of his job and his mother, Hawthorne moved away from Salem and lived in various places. - In 1853 Hawthorne’s friend President Franklin Pierce got him the position of Consul in Liverpool, England. - Hawthorne died in 1864. Literary Career: - In Hawthorne’s youth, he wrote aShow MoreRelated Symbols and Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter1178 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism   in The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne isnt noted for perfecting any famous literary style, for writing multiple best sellers, or even for contributing largely to classic American literature.   His only real claim to fame is The Scarlet Letter: a novel that was originally only meant to be yet another Hawthorne short story.   Because of this, it actually possesses many short story characteristics.   It is simpler and more complete than his other novels. (James 285)   It also hasRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne1242 Words   |  5 PagesLYS PAUL Modern Literature Ms. Gordon The Scarlet Letter The scarlet letter is book written by Nathaniel Hawthorne who is known as one the most studied writers because of his use of allegory and symbolism. He was born on July 4, 1804 in the family of Nathaniel, his father, and Elizabeth Clark Hathorne his mother. Nathaniel added â€Å"W† to his name to distance himself from the side of the family. His father Nathaniel, was a sea captain, and died in 1808 with a yellow fever while at sea. That was aRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter By Roger Chillingworth895 Words   |  4 PagesRoger Chillingworth: Retribution to Death According to an old Klingon proverb, â€Å"Revenge is a dish best served cold,† which Roger Chillingworth, the evil antagonist in The Scarlet Letter knows how to serve well. As readers, we rarely slow down and really scrutinize the works of novels. Consequently, we do not truly realize and acknowledge the development and transition of the characters’ feelings, thoughts, and states of mind. Through Roger Chillingworth, Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates that tryingRead MoreHester Prynne Character Analysis1187 Words   |  5 PagesThe Scarlet Letter is a novel based on a young lady named Hester Prynne who commits adultery during the 1700s, and she secretly borns a baby girl named pearl which is in her care. Both of them live in the colony for the future as the other adulterer named Arthur Dimmesdale suffers by his secrecy and Chillingworth, his caretaker who is always near him. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne experiences many obstacles in Massac husetts to repent her sins that she caused. Every storyRead MoreAre Women Destructive Forces?1674 Words   |  7 Pagesadversities in life had given her, but through the degree of her refusal to permit those adversities to direct her and decide who she ends up to be. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter in the early 1800’s about a disgraced woman who emerged from the shadows to alter the precise definition of the disgraceful letter â€Å"A† on her chest. Later, John Steinbeck composed Of Mice and Men in the 1930’s that depicted Curleys spouse as determined but also immensely egotistic, ultimately prompting hisRead MoreQuestions On Reading And Writing1203 Words   |  5 Pagestreat myself to a Popsicle when I finished each chapter. One day, in a class discussion around chapter seven something struck me: I was enjoying the discussion so thoroughly and yet I was bored to tears while reading the same exact material the night before. I pondered why that would be. My only explanation was that my teacher had brought it to life for me. She had forced me to read between the lines and to ask questions about the passage. That was the first real experience of mine that had an impactfulRead More New Historicism, Feminist Crit icism and Deconstruction in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter3014 Words   |  13 PagesPerspectives on New Historicism, Feminist Criticism and Deconstruction in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Introduction Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter has been a highly debatable topic of numerous critical essays, written by scholars who approach the novel from various perspectives of literary criticism. Due to the diversity of perspectives, the questions proposed by these scholars vary and hence the conclusions they arrive at by examining the same literary text mayRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne And The Violent Bear It Away1586 Words   |  7 Pagestown. Following Tarwater’s escape from his prison, Old Man Tarwater’s house, Tarwater finally confronts the harsh 5truth about his fate as a prophet and his family. In both cases, there is uncertainty regarding the outcomes of their lives. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and The Violent Bear It Away, by Flannery O’Connor, in an attempt to assert control over the long-term outcomes, both Hester and Tarwater leave their prisons with an outward exhibition of confidence and a need to controlRead MoreThe True Nature Of Love1338 Words   |  6 Pagesa woman s heart before he takes her hand in marriage as her situation with Chillingworth is proof of the repercussions of a loveless marriage. Are humans born innately good, evil or both? â€Å"As he spoke, he laid his long forefinger on the scarlet letter, which fort with seemed to scorch into Hester’s breast, as if it had been red-hot. He noticed her involuntary gesture, and smiled. â€Å"Live, therefore, and bear about thy doom with thee, in the eyes of men and women—in the eyes of him thou didstRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter Essay1928 Words   |  8 Pageshow society should affect people in The Scarlet Letter. This book is about a woman named Hester Prynne, who is condemned to wearing a scarlet letter A by the Puritan society, in which she lives. The symbol explored is Hawthorne’s use of nature. Nature is found everywhere, no matter where a person looks. It can be a display of beauty or a display of ugliness. It also contains many elements, such as leaves, stems, and roots. Nature is used in The Scarlet Letter to represent the characters of the novel