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The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Study Guide
NO FEAR
Translation
Summary
Plot Overview
Key Questions and Answers
What Does the Ending Mean?
Summary & Analysis
The Custom-House: Introductory
Chapters 1–2
Chapters 3–4
Chapters 5–6
Chapters 7–8
Chapters 9–10
Chapters 11–12
Chapters 13–14
Chapters 15–16
Chapters 17–18
Chapters 19–20
Chapters 21–22
Chapters 23–24
Video Plot Summary
Characters
Character List
Hester Prynne
Roger Chillingworth
Arthur Dimmesdale
Pearl
Governor Bellingham
Mistress Hibbins
Main Ideas
Themes
Plot analysis
Protagonist
Antagonist
Setting
Motifs
Symbols
Genre
Allusions
Style
Point of View
Tone
Foreshadowing
Key Facts
Is Hester Prynne a feminist?
Quotes
Important Quotations Explained
Quotes By Theme
Female Independence
Guilt
Nature vs. Society
Empathy
Quotes By Section
The Custom-House
Chs. 1 – 2
Chs. 3 – 4
Chs. 5 – 6
Chs. 7 – 8
Chs. 9 – 10
Chs. 11-12
Chs. 13 – 14
Chs. 15 – 16
Chs. 17 – 18
Chs. 19 – 20
Chs. 21 – 22
Chs. 23 – 24
Quotes By Character
Hester Prynne
Arthur Dimmesdale
Roger Chillingworth
Pearl
Governor Bellingham
Quotes By Symbol
The Scarlet A
The Meteor
Pearl
Further Study
Context
Anne Hutchinson and Hester Prynne
Hawthorne and the Historical Romance
Movie Adaptations
Full Book Quiz
Section Quizzes
The Custom-House: Introductory
Chapters 3-4
Chapters 5-6
Chapters 7-8
Chapters 9-10
Chapters 11-12
Character List
Chapters 1-2
Chapters 13-14
Analysis of Major Characters
Themes, Motifs, and Symbols
Chapters 15-16
Chapters 17-18
Chapters 19-20
Chapters 21-22
Chapters 23-24
Study Questions
Suggestions for Further Reading
Companion Texts
Writing Help
How to Write Literary Analysis
Suggested Essay Topics
Sample A+ Essay
How to Cite This SparkNote
Further Study
Chapters 1-2 Quiz
Further Study
Chapters 1-2 Quiz
1
of 5
What does the rose outside the prison symbolize, according to the narrator?
The frailty of mankind
The reader's sympathy for Hester's ordeal
A sweet moral blossom found within the Hester's story
The beautiful child that resulted from Hester's affair
2
of 5
Why do the women in the crowd criticize Hester's scarlet letter?
Its ornate design is inappropriate for a symbol of punishment.
Its crude design is unbecoming and sloppy.
The fine quality fabric should have been saved for a better purpose.
It is misspelled.
3
of 5
What causes Hester's infant to cry out while she's standing on the scaffold?
She is frightened by the shouting of the angry crowd.
A piece of rotten fruit thrown at Hester accidentally hits her.
She's hungry.
Hester squeezes her too tightly.
4
of 5
What does Hester reflect on while standing before the crowd?
Her childhood home in England
The night of her affair
Friends from her youth
Her grandfather's farm
5
of 5
According to the narrator, what are the first two structures typically built in a new colony?
The church and the courthouse
The church and the cemetery
The jail and the cemetery
The jail and the tavern
Previous section
Character List Quick Quiz
Next section
Chapters 13-14 Quick Quiz
Popular pages:
The Scarlet Letter
No Fear The Scarlet Letter
NO FEAR
Character List
CHARACTERS
Hester Prynne: Character Analysis
CHARACTERS
Plot Analysis
MAIN IDEAS
Is Hester Prynne a feminist?
MAIN IDEAS
Quotes by Theme
QUOTES
Themes
MAIN IDEAS
Review Quiz
FURTHER STUDY
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