Chapters Active Reading Guide

Transcription

1 Chapters Active Reading Guide Directions: As you read Chapters of The Scarlet Letter, examine each character s motivation and actions, completing the chart below. For help, refer to page 25. Prynne Dimmesdale Chillingworth Plot Points Motivation Prediction Connection Questions

2 Chapters Comprehension Check Directions: As you read each chapter, answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper using complete sentences. Chapter After Hester s encounter with Dimmesdale on the scaffold, what worries her and what does she resolve to do about it? 2. What do the townspeople believe that the A on Hester s chest has begun to stand for? Why? 3. How has the attitude of the townspeople changed toward Hester? 4. What physical and psychological changes has Hester undergone? 5. How did Pearl s birth save Hester? Chapter When Hester and Chillingworth first meet, what does he tell her he hears is being discussed among the members of the council? 2. How does Hester respond to this? 3. What physical changes does Hester notice as she looks at Chillingworth? 4. What does Hester tell Chillingworth she wants to do? 5. What is Chillingworth s response? 6. What do you think he means by, Let the black flower blossom as it may! Chapter What does Pearl do while Hester and Chillingworth speak? 2. What does Pearl say about why Hester wears the A? What is the connection that she makes? 3. What is Hester s dilemma about telling Pearl the true meaning behind the scarlet letter that she wears? 4. Why does Hester say she wears the A? What is significant about this? 5. What does Hester do when Pearl continues to pester her about the letter?

3 Chapters Standards Focus: Setting The setting of a story is the location and time frame in which the action takes place. Setting is an important part of literature because it provides a backdrop for the story, and can often determine the actions and behaviors of the characters in the text. By knowing the setting, the audience can deduce a lot of information about the characters and story. Although there is usually one major setting for a story, for example, The Victorian Era or the Beasley family home, there are also scene settings which give the audience other specifics such as the living room, the kitchen, or the garden. There are usually many settings in a story because this helps keep the story feeling realistic and interesting. A setting can also become a symbol of something or someone in a story, and can have a major influence on the mood and tone of a scene. The description of a setting can bring to life a vivid image of where the characters are and what is around them. For example, a scene that takes place in a dark, cold, and scary forest is very different from one that takes place in a sunny, bright, and cheerful orchard. As you can see, each of these descriptions is more useful than simply saying the scene takes place outside, among a group of trees. This kind of detailed information can help the audience understand how the character may be feeling or thinking. Directions: In The Scarlet Letter, the setting of the action is very important in evoking certain moods. Fill in the chart below by reading through the text to find scenes that take place in the specific setting indicated. Once you have found several scenes that take place in these settings, indicate how the setting is important to the scene. Also indicate what the setting may symbolize and how it is intended to make the reader feel. An example has been done for you. Scene Ex. Hester is released from prison, forced to show her scarlet letter, and suffer humiliation from the public. (Ch. 1) How does the setting affect the situation(s)? What is the setting a symbol of? What is the mood of the situation(s) set in these locations? The Prison Ex. The prison may symbolize resurrection, or a new beginning, for Hester. When she leaves she is starting a new life. It is an exciting scene because there are a lot of people gathered around her, yelling at and humiliating her. I think starting the story in front of a prison is interesting and gets the audience s attention and makes the scene more exciting. It really makes the reader wonder what Hester did to deserve this punishment, and also makes the reader feel bad for her as she enters this new life as an outcast.

4 Scene How does the setting affect the situation(s)? What is the setting a symbol of? What is the mood of the situation(s) set in these locations? The Scaffold/Market Place The Forest The Governor s Hall Dimmesdale s & Chillingworth s House

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