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Hawthorne and the Ambiguous Symbol: The Scarlet Letter — Homework
Reread this week's Scarlet Letter overview and, if possible, the novel's opening scaffold scene before answering.
- 1.Describe two different meanings the scarlet letter takes on across the novel, and what causes the shift.
- 2.Why is Hawthorne's refusal to settle on one fixed meaning for the letter a deliberate strategy rather than a weakness?
- 3.What does Chillingworth's name allegorically suggest about his role in the novel?
- 4.Compare Dimmesdale's hidden guilt to Hester's open, publicly borne guilt. Which seems to cause more lasting harm, and why?
- 5.In a paragraph of six or more sentences, explain what the meteor scene suggests about how meaning is made, connecting it directly back to the letter's own shifting meaning.
🌲 Homeschool of the FutureEleventh Grade · Reading · week 14 homework