Dec 22, 2009

The Scarlet Letter | Suggested Essay Topics

Hester in Disgrace
(Chapters 1-4)
1. Describe the narrator of the story. How does the narrator differ from a traditional first- or third-person narrator?

2. Discuss the beadle as the personification of Puritan thinking.

Hester in the Community
(Chapters 5–8)
1. Discuss the effect of the punishment upon Hester’s personality.

2. Explore the relationship of the Governor’s mansion to the “old world” and to the Puritans.

3. Examine some of the many symbols surrounding Hester Prynne,...