The Scarlet Letter
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Table of Contents
Discussion Topics
1. What role does religion play in the novel?
2. How does revenge change Chillingworth?
3. Is the witch, Mistress Hibbins, a positive or negative character in the novel?
4. Does the community ever embrace Hester, or does it merely tolerate her?
5. Would the community have been or less judgmental of Hester if they had known that Dimmesdale was the father of her child?
6. Is the Custom House introduction necessary to set the stage for the novel?
7. Is Dimmesdale’s weakness the flaw in a tragic hero, or is his weakness so substantial that it prevents him from being a hero in the novel?
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