Chapter 1 Summary and Analysis
The Scarlet Letter opens with a description of the prison in which Hester has been incarcerated for adultery. This prison is an ugly, necessary building, constructed very early in the history of Boston colony. Boston lore holds that Anne Hutchinson, the infamous spiritual advisor and “heretic,” once walked into this same prison and that a rosebush sprang up under her sainted feet. The omniscient narrator hopes that these roses will symbolize a kind of moral sweetness that will otherwise be hard to find in this novel.
Allusions
Symbols
Expert Q&A
What words or phrases establish the mood of chapter 1 in The Scarlet Letter?
Chapter 1 of The Scarlet Letter establishes a somber and severe mood through descriptive language. Words like "sad-colored," "gray," and "beetle-browed" convey a bleak atmosphere. The "heavily timbered" door with "iron spikes" evokes a harsh and punitive setting, reflecting the strict and controlled nature of the Puritan community. This mood highlights the seriousness of the time and the community's focus on punishment, setting the tone for the novel.
In chapter 1 of The Scarlet Letter, why were people gathered at the prison?
In Chapter 1, people gather at the prison in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter as part of a Puritan society witnessing public punishments. Although the chapter doesn't immediately reveal why they are assembled, it speculates on possible crimes, reflecting Puritanical severity. The real reason unfolds in Chapter 2, where the crowd awaits the punishment of Hester Prynne, who has committed adultery and will be publicly shamed by wearing a scarlet letter "A."
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