The Scarlet Letter Writing Prompts 2010-2011 In a five-paragraph essay, with a minimum of two concrete details per body paragraph, answer one of the following prompts. Remember, this is a persuasive essay: you need to appeal to the reader’s emotions and convince him or her to think as you do. You must provide reasons (concrete details) that are supported by the text. 1. In the first scenario, imagine yourself as Reverend Dimmesdale’s spiritual advisor. He comes to you, confesses his crime and admits he is the father of Hester’s child, Pearl. A. You are to write an essay to convince him that he must confess his crime to the entire town and take what punishment is decreed, OR B. You are to write to convince him he must not confess his guilt and let God decide his fate. 2. In this scenario, you are an independent counsel (an attorney), hired by the Governor and other magistrates of the town. A. You must persuade the leaders of the town that it is best for Pearl to remain with Hester, her mother, OR B. You must persuade the leaders of the town that Pearl is better off removed from her mother and raised by a family with an untarnished reputation. 3. In this scenario, many years have passed and you are Pearl, a wealthy adult heiress. A. You persuade your mother (Hester) to stay in England (after fleeing there after Dimmesdale’s death), OR B. You persuade your mother (Hester) to return to the New World to live out her life. 4. In this scenario, imagine you are one of the townspeople, and have observed Hester and how her life has unfolded since the day when she stood upon the scaffold. A. You must persuade others in the town that Hester has become a woman to be respected and admired, OR B. You must persuade the townsfolk that Hester deserves continued condemnation as an adultress and unforgiveable sinner. For whichever prompt you choose, remember that you must use persuasive language; your goal is to sway your audience to your way of thinking. Each body paragraph must have a minimum of two concrete details(quotes from the text) and supporting commentary. Look to Hawthorne’s dramatic style and note how he uses language(diction) so effectively in conveying Hester’s story; you should do the same in presenting your point of view and convincing your audience. The following requirements apply to this essay: Due Date: Friday Oct. 29, 2010. All papers must be submitted to Turnitin.com. Turnitin will close at 7:40 AM on the due date. Please print a receipt for your submission and staple it to the back of your essay. If you have not yet registered for this class with Turnitin, please do so immediately and remember to use your smhsstudents.org address. If you have an anticipated absence for the due date, your paper is due to me BEFORE the absence. See me to make arrangements for this. DO NOT leave your essays at the front desk of the Administration Office. DO NOT e-mail your paper to me. Remember that I am always available to help you with your paper. We will also set aside some class time for peer editing. Please bring your completed rough draft to class on Tuesday, Oct. 26. You will be graded on the completion of this rough draft and points awarded in the writing category.