Scarlet Letter Notebook Assignments
3/6 Notebook #39: Scarlet Letter Author Notes: Nathaniel Hawthorne, from the Preface
1) When and where was Hawthorne born and buried?
Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts, like his famous Grandfather Judge Hathorne famous from the Salem Witch Trials. He lived from 1804 – 1864
2) What was Hawthorns religious background? What did that mean?
3) From the preface passage, what two important points was Hawthorne trying to make through his writing?
4) What are “moral allegories” that make Hawthorne seem old-fashioned?
3/7 Notebook #40: Initial Impressions
1) Describe the setting outside the prison door.(ch 1)
2) Contrast this scene with the one in the Marketplace. (ch 2)
3) What is the setting of the story?
Time: Situation:
Place: Life-governing rules:
4) Who is Mistress Prynne? Appearance? Situation?
5) Who are the other Characters introduced? List and describe what you know so far. Leave a blank line under each to add more detail, later.
3/11 Notebook #41: Position Practice
List six phases expressing some assertions or discrepancies you may have encountered in your research beginning with a phrase such as the following:
“It appears that…”
“It seems…”
“Research shows…”
3/12 Notebook #42: The Interview
1. Who is the doctor? What is his name? How does he seem related to Hester?
2. How does he threaten Hester? Write the threat from p. 69, “Here woman, the child is…”
3. Why does he claim he is not interested in the babe?
1. Who is the doctor? What is his name? How does he describe his relationship to Hester on page 69 when he begins to say, “The child […] hand.”
2. How does Hester feel about death and drinking the potion the doctor offers her on page 70?
3. What is Chillingworth’s vengeance? What does he give as his resolution over the situation to Hester on page 71 beginning with the word “live”?
4. How does Chillingworth describe himself on page 71?
5. What do Prynne and Chillingworth agree on is their common mistake? What does Chillingworth confess is his on page 72?
6. What is Roger’s secret that he wants Hester to keep? Why? What does he threaten on pages 73-74?
3/19 Notebook #43: Write the first draft of your conclusion.
1. Begin with your thesis, reworded.
2. Restate what you just discussed in the body (similar to the second paragraph of your introduction).
1. What do you see as a future outlook of the problem you just discussed.
3/24 Notebook #44: Citations. List and describe the parts of the following two examples:
Example 1: (Jones, 1994, 396)
Example 2: (Causes of depression, 2003, 1)
3/31 Notebook #45: What is a Puritan?
1.) <Insert dicussion notes here>
2.) Dictonary Definition
3.) What does the New England Primer tell Puritan Students about how they should govern their lives
4/1 Notebook #46:
THE NEW ENGLAND PRIMER, 1691
In Adam's Fall
We Sinned all.
Thy Life to Mend
This Book Attend.
The Cat doth play
And after flay.
A dog will bite
A Thief at night.
The Idle Fool
Is whipt at school.
QUOTATION
FROM JOHN MILTON, A FAMOUS PHILOSPHER
God’s
Universe law gave to man despotic powers over his female in due awe.
QUOTATION FROM JONATHAN EDWARDS SERMON, “SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF AN ANGRY GOD,” 1734
The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you and is dreadfully provoked. His wrath toward you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else but to be cast into the fire.