The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter—by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Short Response Questions: Respond to the following questions in 100-150 words each. Limit your answers, but do use text support where necessary. You may type on this document, save it as your own, and upload it with answers to turnitin.com. Use an appropriate MLA heading in the upper right. Do this by inserting a header. Use MLA parenthetical citation for all quotes. 1. Which character of The Scarlet Letter is innocent?
In The Scarlet Letter, Pearl is innocent. As Pearl grows up, we see how a child of sin becomes the blessing of her mother’s life. Pearl is known for her light skin, resembling a Pearl. Not only does this skin symbolize Pearl’s character, but it symbolizes her purity and innocence, proving that although she is the product of evil, she has grown into a child of good. Even though Pearl did not choose to be born into a life of chaos, she was still an outcast in society due to her mother’s actions. These people of society do not take her age and purity into consideration when judging her and setting her aside in their lives, therefor, Pearl is forced to live her innocent childhood in the shelter of her mother’s care.
2. Think of an adjective that describes the essence of Chillingworth’s personality and give a reason for your choice.
Chillingworth could most likely be described as evil. In the beginning of The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is described as the evil character who committed adultery on her husband, but in reality, Chillingworth created the situation by leaving his wife alone with nowhere to turn. Even though Chillingworth seems innocent and is supposedly a victim, he never cared for Hester and ignored her, yet he still expected her to love him. Instead of accepting the situation, he seeks revenge, bringing out the true evil in him. He does not accept Hester’s love for Dimmesdale and deliberately tries to stand in their way. Evil never outlives the good, just as Chilingworth doesn’t
Short Response Questions: Respond to the following questions in 100-150 words each. Limit your answers, but do use text support where necessary. You may type on this document, save it as your own, and upload it with answers to turnitin.com. Use an appropriate MLA heading in the upper right. Do this by inserting a header. Use MLA parenthetical citation for all quotes. 1. Which character of The Scarlet Letter is innocent?
In The Scarlet Letter, Pearl is innocent. As Pearl grows up, we see how a child of sin becomes the blessing of her mother’s life. Pearl is known for her light skin, resembling a Pearl. Not only does this skin symbolize Pearl’s character, but it symbolizes her purity and innocence, proving that although she is the product of evil, she has grown into a child of good. Even though Pearl did not choose to be born into a life of chaos, she was still an outcast in society due to her mother’s actions. These people of society do not take her age and purity into consideration when judging her and setting her aside in their lives, therefor, Pearl is forced to live her innocent childhood in the shelter of her mother’s care.
2. Think of an adjective that describes the essence of Chillingworth’s personality and give a reason for your choice.
Chillingworth could most likely be described as evil. In the beginning of The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is described as the evil character who committed adultery on her husband, but in reality, Chillingworth created the situation by leaving his wife alone with nowhere to turn. Even though Chillingworth seems innocent and is supposedly a victim, he never cared for Hester and ignored her, yet he still expected her to love him. Instead of accepting the situation, he seeks revenge, bringing out the true evil in him. He does not accept Hester’s love for Dimmesdale and deliberately tries to stand in their way. Evil never outlives the good, just as Chilingworth doesn’t