– What do the prison and the rose represent?
– How are the village people described? How do they see Hester? In what other ways does Hawthorne let you see who she is?
– How does the letter A gradually take on symbolic meaning?
– What happens to Dimmesdale and Chillingworth in their relationship with each other? What does Chillingworth see when he uncovers Dimmesdale’s chest? How has he changed? How has Dimmesdale changed?
-For Hawthorne, perhaps the ultimate, and possibly unforgiveable, sin is the violation of the human soul or heart. By this definition, who sins at this point of the story? approximately chapter 12
– How has Hester changed after 7 years? What has her A come to mean? What has she lost and gained? How does she feel about Pearl?
-How has Hester changed after 7 years? What has her A come to mean? What has she lost and gained? How does she feel about Pearl?
– How is the forest described? What does it mean to Pearl? to Hester? to Dimmesdale? What role has Nature played in this drama?
– How do Hester and Dimmesdale view her secret? their sin? What does Hester resolve to do? How does Dimmesdale react to the decision? Hester? What signs are there that such a “happy ending” is doomed? Why does Pearl reject them? What happens to Dimmesdale as he returns home?
– How do the four stand on the scaffold this last time? What does Dimmesdale reveal? How is Pearl changed? How do the townspeople interpret this final revelation? What happens to Chillingworth? to Pearl?