The Scarlet Letter Questions on Chapter 20
The Scarlet Letter
Discussion Questions for Various Chapters of The Scarlet Letter
To discuss various chapters of The Scarlet Letter, consider questions such as: How does Hester Prynne's character evolve throughout the novel? What is the significance of the scarlet letter "A"? How...
The Scarlet Letter
Hester's Identity and the Scarlet Letter
In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne's refusal to stop wearing the scarlet letter "A" reflects its deep integration into her identity. Initially a symbol of shame imposed by Puritan society for her...
The Scarlet Letter
What foreshadowing occurs in the final chapters of The Scarlet Letter for Pearl, Mistress Hibbins, and Dimmesdale?
The last chapters of the novel foreshadow how the novel will end. Mistress Hibbins lets him know his decision to run away from his sin will cost him his soul. Hester watches Dimmesdale take in the...
The Scarlet Letter
How does Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter explain his strange behavior towards three parishioners?
Dimmesdale believes his strange behavior when he is walking home in The Scarlet Letter is caused by the devil because he is planning on running away with Hester.
The Scarlet Letter
What does Dimmesdale do with his pre-written Election Day sermon?
Dimmesdale discards his pre-written Election Day sermon by throwing it into the fire because he feels it no longer represents him. After his transformative encounter with Hester in the forest, he...
The Scarlet Letter
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, what does Mistress Hibbins say about Dimmesdale?
In "The Scarlet Letter," Mistress Hibbins suggests that Dimmesdale has made a pact with the devil. After Dimmesdale's visit to the forest, she recognizes a change in him and implies that he has been...
The Scarlet Letter
"A strange sad man is he, with his hand always over his heart." Who said this, to whom, and what does it signify?
Pearl, Hester's daughter, says this quote to her mother about Dimmesdale in Chapter 20. It signifies Pearl's observation of Dimmesdale's dual behavior. In private, he is affectionate towards Pearl...