novel study unit: the scarlet letter - topher davis · the scarlet letter was published in 1850,...
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Novel Study Unit:
The Scarlet Letter
ENG3U Novel Study Unit • Name: _____________________
Nathaniel Hawthorne (born Nathaniel Hathorne; July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer.
He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, the only judge involved in the Salem witch trials who never repented of his actions. Nathaniel later added a "w" to make his name "Hawthorne" in order to hide this relation. He entered Bowdoin College in 1821, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1824, and graduated in 1825. Hawthorne published his first work, a novel titled Fanshawe, in 1828; he later
tried to suppress it, feeling it was not equal to the standard of his later work. He published several short stories in various periodicals which he collected in 1837 as Twice-Told Tales. The next year, he became engaged to Sophia Peabody. He worked at a Custom House and joined Brook Farm, a transcendentalist community, before marrying Peabody in 1842. The couple moved to The Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts, later moving to Salem, the Berkshires, then to The Wayside in Concord. The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850, followed by a succession of other novels. A political appointment took Hawthorne and family to Europe before their return to The Wayside in 1860. Hawthorne died on May 19, 1864, and was survived by his wife and their three children.
Much of Hawthorne's writing centers on New England, many works featuring moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration. His fiction works are considered part of the Romantic movement and, more specifically, Dark romanticism. His themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity, and his works often have moral messages and deep psychological complexity. His published works include novels, short stories, and a biography of his friend Franklin Pierce.
From Wikipedia.org
2
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne • Biography
Boston, Massachusetts (MA)The story takes place in what is present-day Boston. The first Puritan settlers in 1620 in Plymouth, MA. Ten years later, several more Puritans left the persecution of their original homeland to “purify” the Church of England.
Puritan Boston, 1642The story starts in June 1642 in a community the second group of Puritan settlers called Massachusetts Bay Colony. By the time the 1640s arrive, there are over 25000 settlers.
3
The Scarlet Letter Setting • Boston, MA, USA
Hester PrynneA young woman sent to the colonies by her husband, who plans to join her later but is presumed lost at sea. She is a symbol of the acknowledged sinner; one whose transgression has been identified and who makes appropriate, socio-religious atonement.
Roger ChillingworthThe pseudonym assumed by Hester Prynne’s aged scholar-husband. He is a symbol of evil, of the “devil’s handyman,” of one consumed with revenge and devoid of compassion.
Reverend Arthur DimmesdaleThe unmarried pastor of Hester’s congregation; he is also the father of Hester’s daughter, Pearl. He is a symbol of the secret sinner; one who recognizes his transgression but keeps it hidden and secret, even to his own downfall.
PearlThe illegitimate daughter of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. She is the living manifestation of Hester’s sin and a symbol of the product of the act of adultery and of an act of passion and love.
From CliffNotes.com
4
The Scarlet Letter Characters & Character Map
Directions: As in the Bible, with Adam and Eve’s original sin, they are expelled from the Garden of Eden because they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Sin results in suffering, part of the human condition, but also results in knowledge. Find instances of these portrayed in the novel.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
5
The Scarlet Letter Sin, Knowledge, & the Human Condition
Directions: The characters debate the embodiment of evil and also try to discern the causes of evil. Consider the following:
1. Puritan concept of sin
2. Chillingworth toward Hester
3. Chillingworth himself
4. Hester toward Chillingworth
5. Dimmesdale himself
6. Dimmesdale toward Pearl
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The Scarlet Letter Exploring the Nature of Evil
Directions: Record passages from the novel which exhibit influences on each character’s identity, as well as acceptance and rejection of those influences, and why. Consider all main characters (Hester, Chillingworth, Dimmesdale, and Pearl).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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The Scarlet Letter Exploring Identity and Society
Directions: Both the town and the surrounding forest represent different structures of order. Consider the behaviours required in each of these spaces, as well as behaviours that are allowed, and why. Find instances of these in the novel.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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The Scarlet Letter Exploring Civilization versus the Wilderness
Directions: An allegory is a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one (e.g., Pilgrim’s Progress). Interpret the names below by considering the many possibilities the names may suggest.
1. Roger Chilllingworth
2. Hester Prynne rhymes with?
3. Arthur Dimmesdale
4. Pearl, as in a “pearl of great price”
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The Scarlet Letter Exploring Allegorical Names
Directions: A symbol is something that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract. What do the things below represent in the novel? Be certain to mention if these things are interpreted differently by characters in the novel.
1. The Scarlet Letter
2. The Meteor
3. Pearl
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The Scarlet Letter Exploring Symbols
Directions: Colours, as well as references to light and dark, can also be symbolic, holding deeper meaning. Record passages from the novel which exhibit references to light, dark, and colour imagery. Consider what this imagery means or suggests. How is its use effective in each passage in conveying an idea or message?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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The Scarlet Letter Exploring Light, Dark, and Colour
In groups of 5, students are to read then choose a children’s story to perform. The presentation must be performed creatively in front of the class and incorporate at least one of the following art forms:
• Dance• Music• Drama
Criteria
Student 1 Name
Student 2 Name
Student 3 Name
Student 4 Name
Student 5 Name
The performance reflects the ideas, themes, and issues examined in the children’s story.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The student uses various presentation techniques such as voice projection, stress, intonation, expressiveness, posture and/or gestures, props and/or costumes, and memorization to present the scene.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Student participates equally and effectively.
0 1 2 3 4 5
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The Scarlet Letter Performance Evaluation /25
marginalization |ˌmärjənələˈzāSHənˌmärjənəˌlīˈzāSHən|nountreatment of a person, group, or concept as insignificant or peripheral (New Oxford American Dictionary).
According to Wikipedia and the Merriam Webster Dictionary, marginalization is “when an individual is socially excluded from society and placed in a powerless and unimportant position within a society or group. These individuals are at a social disadvantage and are often shunned and ostracized from society.”
Reflect on how marginalization exists in the children’s tale that you read.
This is a significant topic that emerges in The Scarlet Letter and the question we will be focusing on, while investigating literary elements of the text, is:
How does marginalization manifest itself(in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter)?
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The Scarlet Letter Marginalization
Scenario 1: Example of Robert Moses, the master builder of roads, parks, bridges, and other public works of the 1920-1970s in New York. His overpasses were built to limit buses, which were likely to carry African Americans and low income families.
Scenario 2: Cyrus McCormick II owned the reaper manufacturing plant in Chicago and at the time he was engaged in a battle with the National Union of Iron Moulders. He introduced these new technical developments to the factory in order to remove those skilled workers who were interested in forming a union. After three years had elapsed, he removed the machines and successfully destroyed the union.
These two scenarios are examples of technologies being used to enhance the power, authority, and privilege of some others by intentional design. Technologies are often considered as neutral tools that can be used well or poorly, for good, evil, or something in between. Rarely does one consider that these devices may have been designed and built to produce a set of consequences logically and temporarily prior to any of its professional uses and beyond its immediate use.
Scenario 3: The mechanical tomato harvester was built by the University of California in order to assist in the reaping of the tomato harvest. The cost, however, of the machine and the virtual size of it favoured large plots of land. The small rural farms were unable to keep up with the amount of production obtained by the machine and crews of workers lost their jobs as a result of the machines. The number of farms declined during these years as did the job market for the tomato industry (1970s). There was no intent, however, to affect the industry in such a manner. An example of an ongoing social process in which scientific knowledge, technological invention, and corporate profit reinforce each other in deeply entrenched patterns, patterns that bear the unmistakable stamp of political and economic power.
Scenario 4: Nuclear power stations, for the most part, demand a certain type of administration – authoritarian, centralized through large corporations that are immensely powerful.
Solar Power – Some could argue that they are more independent, liberal, and more democratic.
The Scarlet Letter SettingTime: Seventeenth century (1642)Place: Puritan BostonPeriod: American RomanticismWhen Novel Was Published:
• written 1849 in Lennox, Massachusetts• published in 1850 by Ticknor, Reed & Fields• considered a Gothic romance, rather than a historical novel• many see Hawthorne’s novel as demonstrating the strengths and weaknesses of Puritan society• rich with thematic topics, motifs, allegory, and symbols• much of “The Custom House” introductory section is true, based on author’s employment in this
building; finding a letter “A” made of cloth wrapped in a parchment manuscript is fictional
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The Scarlet Letter Marginalization • Setting Scenarios
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The Scarlet Letter Marginalization • Setting Scenario 1SC
ENA
RIO
1:
A n
ewly
dev
elop
ed p
arkw
ay is
des
igne
d an
d bu
ilt to
lead
trav
eler
s on
the
high
way
to a
pop
ular
bea
chfr
ont a
rea.
The
ove
rpas
ses
of th
e pa
rkw
ay h
ave
a lim
ited
heig
ht, h
owev
er, s
o th
at o
nly
priv
atel
y ow
ned
cars
can
pas
s th
roug
h.
Wha
t pr
oble
ms
aris
e as
a r
esul
t of
thi
s sc
enar
io?
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The Scarlet Letter Marginalization • Setting Scenario 2SC
ENA
RIO
2:
New
ly a
dded
mol
ding
mac
hine
s ar
e in
trod
uced
into
a p
lant
that
pro
duce
in
feri
or c
astin
gs a
t a h
ighe
r co
st c
ompa
red
to th
ose
prod
uced
by
skill
ed
wor
kers
with
the
prev
ious
equ
ipm
ent.
Uns
kille
d la
bore
rs, h
owev
er, c
an
oper
ate
the
new
mac
hine
s. A
fter
thre
e ye
ars,
the
new
mac
hine
s ar
e re
plac
ed.
Wha
t re
ason
s ca
n yo
u gi
ve fo
r th
is c
ircu
mst
ance
to
occu
r?
Find a quotation in the text to support how elements of setting are used to marginalize a character.
Setting QuotationExplanation:How does the quotation show that setting is marginalizing the character(s)?
Geographical Location
Time Period
Social Setting
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The Scarlet Letter Marginalization • Setting
Body Ritual Among the Nacirema* by Horace Miner
*From American Anthropologist, vol. 58, no. 3 (1956). Reproduced with permission of the American Anthropological Association.
¶ 2…[The Nacirema] are a North American group living in the territory between the Canadian Cree, the Yaqui and Tarahumare of Mexico, and the Carib and Arawak of the Antilles. Little is known of their origin, although tradition states that they came from the east.
¶ 3Nacirema culture is characterized by a highly developed market economy which has evolved in a rich natural habitat. While much of the people's time is devoted to economic pursuits, a large part of the fruits of these labors and a considerable portion of the day are spent in ritual activity. The focus of this activity is the human body, the appearance and health of which loom as a dominant concern in the ethos of the people. While such a concern is certainly not unusual, its ceremonial aspects and associated philosophy are unique.
¶ 4The fundamental belief underlying the whole system appears to be that the human body is ugly and that its natural tendency is to debility and disease. Incarcerated in such a body, man's only hope is to avert these characteristics through the use of ritual and ceremony. Every household has one or more shrines devoted to this purpose. The more powerful individuals in the society have several shrines in their houses and, in fact, the opulence of a house is often referred to in terms of the number of such ritual centers it possesses. Most houses are of wattle and daub construction, but the shrine rooms of the more wealthy are walled with stone. Poorer families imitate the rich by applying pottery plaques to their shrine walls.
¶ 5While each family has at least one such shrine, the rituals associated with it are not family ceremonies but are private and secret. The rites are normally only discussed with children, and then only during the period when they are being initiated into these mysteries. I was able, however, to establish sufficient [504 begins ->] rapport with the natives to examine these shrines and to have the rituals described to me.
¶ 6The focal point of the shrine is a box or chest which is built into the wall. In this chest are kept the many charms and magical potions without which no native believes he could live. These preparations are secured from a variety of specialized practitioners. The most powerful of these are the medicine men, whose assistance must be rewarded with substantial gifts. However, the medicine men do not provide the curative potions for their clients, but decide what the ingredients should be and then write them down in an ancient and secret language. This writing is understood only by the medicine men and by the herbalists who, for another gift, provide the required charm.
¶ 7The charm is not disposed of after it has served its purpose, but is placed in the charmbox of the household shrine. As these magical materials are specific for certain ills, and the real or imagined maladies of the people are many, the charm-box is usually full to overflowing. The magical packets are so numerous that people forget what their purposes were and fear to use them again. While the natives are very vague on this point, we can only assume that the idea in retaining all the old magical materials is that their presence in the charm-box, before which the body rituals are conducted, will in some way protect the worshiper.
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The Scarlet Letter Marginalization • Point of View Article
¶ 8Beneath the charm-box is a small font. Each day every member of the family, in succession, enters the shrine room, bows his head before the charm-box, mingles different sorts of holy water in the font, and proceeds with a brief rite of ablution. The holy waters are secured from the Water Temple of the community, where the priests conduct elaborate ceremonies to make the liquid ritually pure.
¶ 9In the hierarchy of magical practitioners, and below the medicine men in prestige, are specialists whose designation is best translated as "holy-mouth-men." The Nacirema have an almost pathological horror of and fascination with the mouth, the condition of which is believed to have a supernatural influence on all social relationships. Were it not for the rituals of the mouth, they believe that their teeth would fall out, their gums bleed, their jaws shrink, their friends desert them, and their lovers reject them. They also believe that a strong relationship exists between oral and moral characteristics. For example, there is a ritual ablution of the mouth for children which is supposed to improve their moral fiber.
¶ 10The daily body ritual performed by everyone includes a mouth-rite. Despite the fact that these people are so punctilious about care of the mouth, this rite involves a practice which strikes the uninitiated stranger as revolting. It was reported to me that the ritual consists of inserting a small bundle of hog hairs into the mouth, along with certain magical powders, and then moving the bundle in a highly formalized series of gestures.
¶ 11In addition to the private mouth-rite, the people seek out a holy-mouth-man once or twice a year. These practitioners have an impressive set of paraphernalia, consisting of a variety of augers, awls, probes, and prods. The use of [505 begins ->] these objects in the exorcism of the evils of the mouth involves almost unbelievable ritual torture of the client. The holy-mouth-man opens the client's mouth and, using the above mentioned tools, enlarges any holes which decay may have created in the teeth. Magical materials are put into these holes. If there are no naturally occurring holes in the teeth, large sections of one or more teeth are gouged out so that the supernatural substance can be applied. In the client's view, the purpose of these ministrations is to arrest decay and to draw friends. The extremely sacred and traditional character of the rite is evident in the fact that the natives return to the holy-mouth-men year after year, despite the fact that their teeth continue to decay.
¶ 12It is to be hoped that, when a thorough study of the Nacirema is made, there will be careful inquiry into the personality structure of these people. One has but to watch the gleam in the eye of a holy-mouth-man, as he jabs an awl into an exposed nerve, to suspect that a certain amount of sadism is involved. If this can be established, a very interesting pattern emerges, for most of the population shows definite masochistic tendencies. It was to these that Professor Linton referred in discussing a distinctive part of the daily body ritual which is performed only by men. This part of the rite includes scraping and lacerating the surface of the face with a sharp instrument. Special women's rites are performed only four times during each lunar month, but what they lack in frequency is made up in barbarity. As part of this ceremony, women bake their heads in small ovens for about an hour. The theoretically interesting point is that what seems to be a preponderantly masochistic people have developed sadistic specialists.
¶ 13The medicine men have an imposing temple, or latipso, in every community of any size. The more elaborate ceremonies required to treat very sick patients can only be performed at this temple. These
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ceremonies involve not only the thaumaturge but a permanent group of vestal maidens who move sedately about the temple chambers in distinctive costume and headdress.
¶ 14The latipso ceremonies are so harsh that it is phenomenal that a fair proportion of the really sick natives who enter the temple ever recover. Small children whose indoctrination is still incomplete have been known to resist attempts to take them to the temple because "that is where you go to die." Despite this fact, sick adults are not only willing but eager to undergo the protracted ritual purification, if they can afford to do so. No matter how ill the supplicant or how grave the emergency, the guardians of many temples will not admit a client if he cannot give a rich gift to the custodian. Even after one has gained and survived the ceremonies, the guardians will not permit the neophyte to leave until he makes still another gift.
¶ 15The supplicant entering the temple is first stripped of all his or her clothes. In everyday life the Nacirema avoids exposure of his body and its natural functions. Bathing and excretory acts are performed only in the secrecy of the household shrine, where they are ritualized as part of the body-rites. Psychological shock results from the fact that body secrecy is suddenly lost upon entry into the latipso. A man, whose own wife has never seen him in an excre- [506 begins ->] tory act, suddenly finds himself naked and assisted by a vestal maiden while he performs his natural functions into a sacred vessel. This sort of ceremonial treatment is necessitated by the fact that the excreta are used by a diviner to ascertain the course and nature of the client's sickness. Female clients, on the other hand, find their naked bodies are subjected to the scrutiny, manipulation and prodding of the medicine men.
¶ 16Few supplicants in the temple are well enough to do anything but lie on their hard beds. The daily ceremonies, like the rites of the holy-mouth-men, involve discomfort and torture. With ritual precision, the vestals awaken their miserable charges each dawn and roll them about on their beds of pain while performing ablutions, in the formal movements of which the maidens are highly trained. At other times they insert magic wands in the supplicant's mouth or force him to eat substances which are supposed to be healing. From time to time the medicine men come to their clients and jab magically treated needles into their flesh. The fact that these temple ceremonies may not cure, and may even kill the neophyte, in no way decreases the people's faith in the medicine men.
¶ 17There remains one other kind of practitioner, known as a "listener." This witch-doctor has the power to exorcise the devils that lodge in the heads of people who have been bewitched. The Nacirema believe that parents bewitch their own children. Mothers are particularly suspected of putting a curse on children while teaching them the secret body rituals. The counter-magic of the witch-doctor is unusual in its lack of ritual. The patient simply tells the "listener" all his troubles and fears, beginning with the earliest difficulties he can remember. The memory displayed by the Nacirema in these exorcism sessions is truly remarkable.
Questions1. What is the article discussing?2. Who are the Nacirema?3. Why do common daily routines seem bizarre?4. How does the point of view in The Scarlet Letter marginalize the characters?5. Is the point of view reliable?6. Is the point of view liberating?
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How does each character’s perspective marginalize someone?
Character Who is being marginalized?How?Consider word choice, comparisons, literary devices, descriptions, reactions, mood, etc.
Hester
Arthur
Pearl
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The Scarlet Letter Marginalization • Point of View
Provide three (3) examples from the text of marginalization as the cause or result for each type of conflict below.
Type of Conflict Examples
Person versus Self
Person versus Person
Person versus Nature
Person versus Society
In a paragraph, explain how one of the conflicts above marginalizes a character or characters in the text. Then write a paragraph outlining an example of that type of conflict that is present in the world today and explain how it marginalizes individuals.
22
The Scarlet Letter Marginalization • Conflict
Directions: As you review the totality of The Scarlet Letter, list and categorize specific character traits of the main character, Hester Prynne.
© COPYRIGHT, The Center for Learning. Used with permission. Not for resale.
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The Scarlet Letter Marginalization • Character
Hester Prynne
Psychological TraitsIntellectual Qualities
Social Skills
Physical Traits
Weaknesses Morals/Ethics
Directions: As you review the totality of The Scarlet Letter, list and categorize specific character traits of Arthur Dimmesdale.
© COPYRIGHT, The Center for Learning. Used with permission. Not for resale.
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The Scarlet Letter Marginalization • Character
Arthur Dimmesdale
Psychological TraitsIntellectual Qualities
Social Skills
Physical Traits
Weaknesses Morals/Ethics
Directions: As you review the totality of The Scarlet Letter, list and categorize specific character traits of Roger Chillingworth.
© COPYRIGHT, The Center for Learning. Used with permission. Not for resale.
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The Scarlet Letter Marginalization • Character
Roger Chillingworth
Psychological TraitsIntellectual Qualities
Social Skills
Physical Traits
Weaknesses Morals/Ethics
Directions: As you review the totality of The Scarlet Letter, list and categorize specific character traits of Pearl Prynne.
© COPYRIGHT, The Center for Learning. Used with permission. Not for resale.
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The Scarlet Letter Marginalization • Character
Pearl Prynne
Psychological TraitsIntellectual Qualities
Social Skills
Physical Traits
Weaknesses Morals/Ethics
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The Scarlet Letter Marginalization • Theme TopicsTh
eme
Topi
cso
Sin
oG
uilt
oTh
e na
ture
of e
vil
oId
entit
y an
d so
ciet
yo
Emot
ion
vers
us in
telle
cto
Ligh
t ver
sus
dark
ness
oR
even
geo
Res
entm
ent
•C
hoos
e th
ree
(3) t
hem
e to
pics
.•
Usi
ng th
e ch
art,
list y
our
topi
c, c
reat
e a
them
e st
atem
ent.
Rem
embe
r, a
them
e st
atem
ent i
s th
e m
essa
ge th
e au
thor
is tr
ying
to c
onve
y ab
out t
he to
pic
thro
ugh
the
text
. Do
not
use
pers
onal
pro
noun
s or
con
trac
tion
s in
you
r th
eme
stat
emen
ts. N
ext,
find
proo
f (a
quot
e w
ith a
pag
e #)
that
sup
port
s yo
ur th
eme
stat
emen
t. La
stly
, exp
lain
how
you
r qu
ote
supp
orts
yo
ur th
eme
stat
emen
t. Yo
ur e
xpla
natio
n sh
ould
be
3-4
sent
ence
s.
Topics
Sin
Question
How is sin symbolized and what is the significance of its characterization?
Answer
Sin is symbolized by the “A” on Hester’s chest, meant to figuratively represent sin. It is characterized by Pearl as something that she will eventually grow into when she becomes a woman.
Theme Statement
Sin is an inevitable part of the human condition.
Proof
“‘Mother,’ said little Pearl, ‘the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom…. It will not feel from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!’‘Nor ever will, my child, I hope,’ said Hester.‘And why not, mother?’ asked Pearl, stopping short…. ‘Will it not come of its own accord, when I am a woman grown?’”
Explanation
The “A” that Hester wears on her chest figuratively represents sin. Pearl identifies lack of literal sunshine on her mother, which also figuratively relates to her mother’s life. Since Pearl, as most children do, assumes that her mother is representative of all adults, she believes that she she too will have a letter on her chest when she becomes a woman. This suggests the inherent connection between sin and the human condition.
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The Scarlet Letter Marginalization • Theme
THEM
E TO
PIC
SQ
UES
TIO
NA
NSW
ERTH
EME
STAT
EMEN
T
PRO
OF
EXPL
AN
ATIO
NEX
PLA
NAT
ION
EXPL
AN
ATIO
N
29
The Scarlet Letter Marginalization • Theme Topics
THEM
E TO
PIC
S
THEM
E ST
ATEM
ENT
PRO
OF
EXPL
AN
ATIO
N
30
The Scarlet Letter Marginalization • Theme Topics
Groups of 4-5 members will present a 20-minute seminar on their topic. These topics have been selected because they influenced or shaped Mary Shelley and her writing. You are asked to make critical connections between Mary Shelley and how the topic you are researching influenced both the author and the novel.
Your seminars should be academic, in that you should clearly state what you are attempting to prove and provide your audience with thought-provoking and critically analyzed textual support. You should also make your seminar interesting as well as informative; hence, you are encouraged to weave a creative component throughout your presentation that will stimulate our imagination and understanding of your seminar.
Requirements:• Tools for Interpreting and Analyzing Information handout• Script submitted to TurnItIn.com prior to the presentation date• Peer and self-evaluation form and Works Cited page must be submitted at the beginning of class• Length of seminar is 20 minutes–you will be asked to stop at 20 minutes
The usual standards of academic integrity will apply, and all quoted, scanned, or paraphrased material must be cited. Plagiarism will result in a zero or failing grade for the project.
Topics1. Puritan History
• How is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter a reflection of Puritan society?2. Nathaniel Hawthorne
• How is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s life, influences, and experiences connected with his writing of The Scarlet Letter?
3. Character• An analysis of the character, her/his attitude, philosophy, motivation, development,
characterization, relationships, symbolism.4. Setting
• Study the setting of the novel (time period, location, physical description, atmosphere) and consider its importance to theme, character(s), conflict.
5. Theme• What is the central purpose or idea of the story? Is there a moral statement or message the author is
conveying about life?6. Conflict
• An analysis of central conflict, what type it is, what triggers it, how it relates to the central plot, how it impacts other characters, what contributes to the resolution, what the resolution reveals about the author’s main message(s)
7. Symbolism• Analyse the central symbol, whether it is an item/idea/person, whether it is supported by the entire
context of the story, what meaning it suggests that is different from its literal meaning, whether it has more than one meaning, its effectiveness, its significance in relation to other literary elements.
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The Scarlet Letter Major Research Project & Seminar
Seminar Topic: ____________________________________________________________________________Group Members:
1. ____________________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________________________________
5. ____________________________________________________________________________________
Responsibilities• All students must participate in the research component of the assignment.• Research responsibilities must be distributed as equally as possible among group members.• In the written analysis, students must identify which component they produced.
Name & Contact Info Research Responsibility1)
Email:
Cell Phone:2)
Email:
Cell Phone:3)
Email:
Cell Phone:4)
Email:
Cell Phone:5)
Email:
Cell Phone:
Process: Students responded to all sections of the Tools for Interpreting and Analyzing Data thoroughly and effectively.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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The Scarlet Letter Seminar Research Group Contract
Seminar Topic: ____________________________________________________________________________Group Members:
1. ____________________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________________________________
Self Evaluation:
Completed all tasks assigned, thoroughly and efficiently 0 1 2 3 4
Present for all class work periods 0 1 2
Met all team and personal assignment deadlines 0 1 2
Communicated and contributed to team project as a whole 0 1 2
Total: /10
In a paragraph, justify the mark you assigned yourself:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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The Scarlet Letter Seminar Self Evaluation Form
Student 1: ________________________________________
Student 2: ________________________________________
Student 3: ________________________________________
Student 4: ________________________________________
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The Scarlet Letter Seminar Peer Evaluation Form
•Do not summarize The Scarlet Letter as we all have that background knowledge.
•Slide presentations, like PowerPoint, Prezi, etc. are not creative on their own.
•Know or memorize your information – slide presentations negate the use of cue cards
•Any video you incorporate into your presentation must be made by you and not something you found on the internet.
•Any video used should enhance the presentation instead of repeating content already covered.
•No scripts are to be used for skits/creative component.
•Costumes must be evident to your audience in terms of the character you are portraying.
•Remember you are trying to incorporate the four senses into your presentation with meaning. Do not incorporate smell into your presentation.
•Games or gameshows should not be used as a way to quiz the audience.
•Do not quiz the class on content, as that content will not be counted in your time requirement.
•Engaging the class with a game or treats is not creative, effective, or required.
•Keep your voice up.
•Practice your presentation so it runs smoothly.
•Use academic language.
•Saying “and yeah!” or “That’s it!” is not a conclusion.
•Have contingencies and come prepared; do not ask teachers for supplies.
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The Scarlet Letter Presentation Tips
Under the headings below, take point-form notes from the seminars presented in class. Consider what thinking strategy best suits you when taking notes. There should be at least 5-10 ideas per topic.
Puritan History
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Character in The Scarlet Letter
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The Scarlet Letter Seminar Notes /35
Setting in The Scarlet Letter
Theme in The Scarlet Letter
Conflict in The Scarlet Letter
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The Scarlet Letter Seminar Notes continued
Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter
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The Scarlet Letter Seminar Notes continued
Works Cited submitted (check the box)
Criteria
Student 1 Name Student 2 Name Student 3 Name Student 4 Name Student 5 Name
KnowledgeThoroughness of included information, ideas, and concepts. Level of knowledge of novel.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
AnalysisExtent to which arguments are supported with evidence and examples. Fluidity and cohesion of analysis.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
OrganizationEffectiveness of preparation for presentation (i.e., props, costumes, aids). Integration of various media.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Presentation Skills & CreativityFluency, expressiveness, and audibility of speech. Appropriateness of language usage. Creativity embedded throughout presentation.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Habits of MindExtent to which Habits of Mind is evidenced by the overall quality or the work prepared.
0 1 2 3
Works Cited
0 1 2
Total: /4539
The Scarlet Letter Seminar Evaluation
1. Identify two tools for interpreting and analyzing and explain how they were helpful in your critical thinking. (4 marks)
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2. Explain three strengths in your presentation. Consider content and oral communication skills (6 marks)
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The Scarlet Letter Seminar Metacognition /20
3. Explain three weaknesses in your presentation. Consider content and oral communication skills (6 marks)
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4. Refer to the marking scheme and identify two specific ways you could improve when planning your next presentation. (4 marks)
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The Scarlet Letter test will require you to write a literary essay. In order to prepare for the test, consider the question listed below and develop a thesis statement.
On the day of the test, you may only bring to class three (3) quotations that you have chosen to support your arguments, and they must be typed on a separate sheet of paper. You will not be allowed to use any handwritten notes, and your quotations will be collected at the end of the test, so be certain to have your first and last name on that sheet.__________________________________________________________________________________________
Example ThesisQuestion: Using one element, explore how ambition is developed in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In your essay, consider what the three quotations/examples suggest about ambition.
Topic: AmbitionElement of choice: ConflictArea of investigation: Why or how is ambition bad?
Example thesis: Shakespeare displays through the use of conflict (position) that Macbeth’s excessive ambition (topic) leads him to neglect his morals and values (area of investigation).
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Task:Using one element, explore how marginalization is developed in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. In your essay, consider what the three quotations/examples suggest about marginalization.
ThesisTopic: Marginalization
Element of choice: _________________________________________________________________________
Position: _________________________________________________________________________________
Area of investigation: ______________________________________________________________________
Quotations
Quotation 1: ______________________________________________________________________________
Quotation 2: ______________________________________________________________________________
Quotation 3: ______________________________________________________________________________
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The Scarlet Letter Test • Name: ________________
Name: __________________________________________________________________**Staple and submit this sheet with your completed assignment.**Level R
(0-49)Level 1(50-59)
Level 2(60-69)
Level 3(70-79)
Level 4(80-89)
Level 4+(90+)
Mark
Organization/Structure3-part thesis or equivalent, essay/paragraph formatting, embedding
Topic Development/SupportSupport, originality, logical development of ideas
CommunicationStyle, mechanics, diction, sentence structure, syntax
MLAWorks Cited, formatting, in-text citations
•Structure is entirely muddled•No embedding•Significant organizational errors on multiple levels
•Muddled structure•Problematic application of point/proof/analysis•Significant errors embedding quotations•Numerous problems with topic sentences, paragraphing, introduction, and conclusion
•Somewhat effective application of point/proof/analysis•Some significant errors embedding quotations•Somewhat effective topic sentences and/or paragraphing•Some problems with introduction and/or conclusion
•Effective use of point/proof/analysis•Minor errors embedding quotations•Reasonably effective topic sentences and paragraphing•Technically correct introductory and concluding paragraphs
•Highly effective application of point/proof/analysis•Flawless embedding of quotations•Effective topic sentences and paragraphing•Well-developed introduction and an effective conclusion
•Masterful use of point/proof/analysis•Sophisticated embedding of quotations•Highly effective topic sentences and paragraphing•Carefully developed introduction and a thoughtful conclusion
/10
•Unsuitable thesis statement/no thesis•Ideas too simple for level of course (plot-based/no argument)•Content shows little or no understanding of topic•No analysis/plot summary replaces analysis
•Thesis statement lacks clarity and specificity Overgeneralization with inadequate support•Limited analysis
•Thesis statement is somewhat clear and specific•Underwhelming use of textual support•Analysis is thin
•Clear and specific thesis statement•Writer’s position made convincing by use of evidence and logic•Good use of textual support•Ability to expound reasonably sophisticated ideas with clarity
•Clear, specific, and reasonably challenging thesis•Writer’s position made strongly convincing by use of evidence and logic•Excellent application of textual support•Some academic risks taken and most of them succeed
•Clear, specific, and challenging thesis•Distinct ideas developed in paper•Paper demonstrates ability to explore the subtleties and ambiguities of the subject•The writer has taken significant risks successfully
/20
•Quality of writing is inadequate for this course•Informal word choice
•Errors of grammar or diction frequent and significant enough to interfere with communication
•Sentence structure and diction generally correct but tends to be overly simple•Some serious grammatical errors (commas splices, fragments, etc.)
•Sentence structure and diction generally correct with some range in sentence types and punctuation•Errors relatively few and minor
•Few errors in sentence structure or diction•A wide range of sentence types and punctuation•A generally graceful style
•Negligible errors in sentence structure or diction•Sophisticated diction•Variety of sentence types and punctuation•Graceful and rich style
/20
•Inadequate demonstration of MLA formatting
•Serious MLA formatting errors
•MLA formatting errors on multiple levels
•Minor MLA formatting errors
•Nearly flawless MLA formatting
•Flawless MLA formatting
/5
Comments:
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Rubric Senior University English Essay /55
Overall Expectations: Developing and Organizing Content: generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience; Using Knowledge of Form and Style: draft and revise their writing, using a variety of literary, informational, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience; Applying Knowledge of Conventions: use editing, proofreading, and publishing skills and strategies, and knowledge of language conventions, to correct errors, refine expression, and present their work effectively.