ENG3U Novel Study Unit • Name: ___________________________ Novel Study Unit: The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne • Biography Nathaniel Hawthorne (born Nathaniel Hathorne; July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, the only judge involved in the Salem witch trials who never repented of his actions. Nathaniel later added a "w" to make his name "Hawthorne" in order to hide this relation. He entered Bowdoin College in 1821, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1824, and graduated in 1825. Hawthorne published his first work, a novel titled Fanshawe, in 1828; he later tried to suppress it, feeling it was not equal to the standard of his later work. He published several short stories in various periodicals which he collected in 1837 as Twice-Told Tales. The next year, he became engaged to Sophia Peabody. He worked at a Custom House and joined Brook Farm, a transcendentalist community, before marrying Peabody in 1842. The couple moved to The Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts, later moving to Salem, the Berkshires, then to The Wayside in Concord. The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850, followed by a succession of other novels. A political appointment took Hawthorne and family to Europe before their return to The Wayside in 1860. Hawthorne died on May 19, 1864, and was survived by his wife and their three children. Much of Hawthorne's writing centers on New England, many works featuring moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration. His fiction works are considered part of the Romantic movement and, more specifically, Dark romanticism. His themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity, and his works often have moral messages and deep psychological complexity. His published works include novels, short stories, and a biography of his friend Franklin Pierce. From Wikipedia.org 2 The Scarlet Letter Character Map From CliffNotes The Scarlet Letter Summary and Study Guide 3 The Scarlet Letter Exploring Sin, Knowledge, and the Human Condition Directions: As in the Bible, with Adam and Eve’s original sin, they are expelled from the Garden of Eden because they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Sin results in suffering, part of the human condition, but also results in knowledge. Find instances of these portrayed in the novel. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 4 The Scarlet Letter Exploring the Nature of Evil Directions: The characters debate the embodiment of evil and also try to discern the causes of evil. Consider the following: 1. Puritan concept of sin 2. Chillingworth toward Hester 3. Chillingworth himself 4. Hester toward Chillingworth 5. Dimmesdale himself 6. Dimmesdale toward Pearl 5 The Scarlet Letter Exploring Identity and Society Directions: Record passages from the novel which exhibit influences on each character’s identity, as well as acceptance and rejection of those influences, and why. Consider all main characters (Hester, Chillingworth, Dimmesdale, and Pearl). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 6 The Scarlet Letter Exploring Civilization versus the Wilderness Directions: Both the town and the surrounding forest represent different structures of order. Consider the behaviours required in each of these spaces, as well as behaviours that are allowed, and why. Find instances of these in the novel. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 7 The Scarlet Letter Exploring Allegorical Names Directions: An allegory is a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one (e.g., Pilgrim’s Progress). Interpret the names below by considering the many possibilities the names may suggest. 1. Roger Chilllingworth 2. Hester Prynne rhymes with? 3. Arthur Dimmesdale 4. Pearl, as in a “pearl of great price” 8 The Scarlet Letter Exploring Symbols Directions: A symbol is something that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract. What do the things below represent in the novel? Be certain to mention if these things are interpreted differently by characters in the novel. 1. The Scarlet Letter 2. The Meteor 3. Pearl 9 The Scarlet Letter Research Seminar • Name: __________________ Groups will present a 20 minute seminar on their topic. Your seminars should be academic, in that you should clearly state what you are attempting to prove and provide your audience with thoughtprovoking and critically analyzed textual support. You should also make your seminar interesting as well as informative, and so you are encouraged to weave a creative component throughout your presentation that will stimulate our understanding and imagination. Requirements: • 4 members to a group; one topic per group • 1-2 page analysis for the class, including textual references–must be typed • Works Cited page must be submitted with handout • Length of seminar is 20 minutes–you will be asked to stop at 20 minutes • Peer and self evaluation form: to be handed in on the day of the presentation Seminar Topic: ____________________________________________________________________________ Group Members and Contact Info: 1. ____________________________________________________________________________________ 2. ____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. ____________________________________________________________________________________ 4. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Topics 1. Puritan History • Research the origins of Puritan society in the U.S. • Discuss their cultural and religious beliefs. • How is Puritan daily life portrayed in The Scarlet Letter? • How are Puritan values expressed in The Scarlet Letter? 2. Nathaniel Hawthorne: This topic is very similar to the ISU presentation. • Research the life history of the author. • Examine influences, experiences, and historical impact. • Show how the various factors in Hawthorne’s life connect with his writing of The Scarlet Letter. 3. Character: an analysis of the character, his/her attitude, philosophy, motivation, etc. • What is the character’s relationship with others? • Is a character a symbol or representation of an idea? • How does the author develop characterization, or the revelation of character traits? • How does the character change as a result of the events in the novel, or is the character static and does not change? 10 The Scarlet Letter Research Seminar continued 4. Setting: Study the setting of the novel (time period, location, physical description, atmosphere) and consider its importance to the following: • Theme – how is the theme developed through the use of setting? • Characters – what is the setting’s impact on the character(s), their actions, attitudes, etc.? • Conflict – what is the setting’s impact on the struggles or conflicts that exist? 5. Theme • What is the central purpose or idea of the story? • Is the author making a moral statement? • What is he or she saying about life? How is the theme portrayed? • Why did the author write this story? What message did he want to express? 6. Conflict • What is the central conflict and what type of conflict is it (person vs. person, etc.)? • Identify one minor conflict and show how it relates to the central plot. • What is the incident that triggers the conflict? • What events contribute to the working out of the conflict? • Where does the conflict occur? Is it effective? • What does the resolution of the conflict reveal about the author’s main messages (themes)? 7. Style • Is the dialogue natural? Is the story mainly descriptive with lots of narration? What is the effect of this choice? • What is the narrative point of view? How does it affect the story? How does the narrative point of view affect the reader’s interpretation of character, conflict, theme? • Does the author use figurative or imaginative language (personification, similes, metaphors, etc.)? What is the effect of this? Does it add to the appreciation of the work? • Hawthorne is central to the development of the American novel. How does his writing style fit in with his contemporaries? 8. Symbolism • The story must furnish a clue that a detail is to be taken symbolically. • The meaning of a symbol must be established and supported by the entire context of the story. • To be called a symbol, an item must suggest a meaning different in kind from the literal meaning. • A symbol may have more than one meaning. • Examine five (5) symbols from The Scarlet Letter. • Discuss their importance in terms of all of the literary elements (theme, setting, conflict, etc.) • What is the effect of the symbolism used? Does it work? 11 The Scarlet Letter Self Evaluation • Name: ____________________ Seminar Topic: ____________________________________________________________________________ Group Members: 1. ____________________________________________________________________________________ 2. ____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. ____________________________________________________________________________________ 4. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Completed all tasks assigned, thoroughly and efficiently 0! 1! 2! 0! 1! 2 Met all team and personal assignment deadlines 0! 1! 2 Communicated and contributed to team project as a whole 0! 1! 2 Present for all class work periods 3! 4 /10 In a paragraph, justify the mark you assigned yourself: __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ 12 The Scarlet Letter Seminar Peer Evaluation Student 1: Student 2: Student 3: Student 4: 13 The Scarlet Letter Seminar Research Contract Seminar Topic: ____________________________________________________________________________ Responsibilities • All students must participate in the research component of the assignment. • Research responsibilities must be distributed equally among group members. • In the written analysis, students must identify which component they produced. Name Research Responsibility 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 14 Rubric The Scarlet Letter Seminar /20 Name(s): ________________________________________________________________________________ Topic: _______________________________________________ Duration: ____________ **Submit this sheet to your teacher prior to presenting.** Criteria Level R Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Includes very limited information and ideas Includes limited information and ideas Includes some information and ideas Includes sufficient information and ideas Information and ideas are thorough Language conventions are rarely used Use of language conventions are limited Use of language conventions are inconsistent Use of language conventions are accurate/effective Use of language conventions are effective and virtually error free Includes very little information, ideas, and concepts Includes limited information, ideas, and concepts Includes some information, ideas, and concepts Includes sufficient information, ideas, and concepts Includes information, ideas, and concepts that are thorough Knowledge of novel is lacking Knowledge of novel is limited Some knowledge of novel is evident Knowledge of novel is sufficient Knowledge of novel is sufficient and thorough Analysis and evidence are inadequate Analysis and evidence are limited Some analysis and evidence given Sufficient analysis and evidence given Thorough analysis and evidence given Creativity No creativity Limited creativity Some creativity Considerable creativity A high degree of creativity Presentation Speech lacks fluency, expressiveness, and audibility Speech lacks some fluency, expressiveness, or audibility Speech is somewhat fluent, expressive, and audible Speech is fluent, expressive, and audible Speech is highly fluent, expressive, and audible Language is not appropriate to purpose Language is limited in its appropriateness to purpose Language is somewhat appropriate to purpose Language is appropriate to purpose Language is highly appropriate to purpose Visual aspects are not effective Visual aspects are limited in effectiveness Visual aspects are somewhat effectiveness Visual aspects are effective Visual aspects are highly effective Presentation is not organized at all Presentation lacks considerable organization Presentation is somewhat organized Presentation is organized Presentation is highly organized Handout Content Handout Language Conventions Presentation Content Presentation Analysis & Skills Overall Expectations: Speaking to Communicate: use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes; Reading for Meaning: read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, informational, and graphic texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning; Reading with Fluency: use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently; Developing and Organizing Content: generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience; Using Knowledge of Form and Style: draft and revise their writing, using a variety of literary, informational, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience; Applying Knowledge of Conventions: use editing, proofreading, and publishing skills and strategies, and knowledge of language conventions, to correct errors, refine expression, and present their work effectively; Understanding Media Texts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts; Creating Media Texts: create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques. 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