What is Hester’s plan for Dimmesdale, Pearl, and herself? What is Dimmesdale tempted to do as he returns to his room? Explain.
What decision does he make as he reaches his lodging?
What does the Puritan celebration tell about their values?
How has Chillingworth interfered with Hester’s plan?
What does the procession show about Puritan values?
What is the minister’s mental state as he walks to the meeting house? What effect does he have upon Hester?
Where is Hester standing during Dimmesdale’s sermon?
Why does Hester become the center of the crowd’s attention? What irony does the narrator see in the scene?
Explain Pearl’s behavior during the sermon.
What is the topic and mood of Dimmesdale’s sermon?
Describe the minister’s condition after the speech, and tell which people offer him assistance.
Where are the four major characters during the final scaffold scene?
What changes occur in Pearl? What does she accept from Dimmesdale?
What moral does the narrator say is central to the story?
What are the various versions of what was seen on Dimmesdale’s chest?
What is the effect of Dimmesdale’s confession on Chillingworth?
What is the effect of Chillingworth’s legacy to Pearl?
Describe the circumstances of Hester’s return to Boston?
Are the two
lovers ever united?