Scarlet Letter Major Works Data Sheet
Major Works Data Sheet
Details of the setting (include changes in setting)
Significance of setting to the meaning of the work
The Scarlet Letter is set in Boston in the mid-1600’s. There are a number of different settings inside this, including Dimmesdale and Chillingworth’s quarters, the scaffold at night and day, Hester’s cottage, the Governor’s home, and the forest.
The setting of Boston in the mid-1600s is important to the work mainly because of the people. If it was set at any time afterwards, the people would have seemed out of context with their weird beliefs and practices and their strange forms of punishment and just the way they go about things. Also, the setting of the work goes along with the culture’s belief in the Black Man, or the Devil, being active in society on Earth. This belief was only held for a few hundred years. This sets a whole tone for the story, because it was widely believed that Hester had conceived Pearl with the Black Man.
Significance of the opening scene
Significance of the ending scene
The opening scene of The Scarlet Letter is when Hester comes out of the prison to serve her time on the scaffold. This scene introduces the central plot of the story, and also many of the main characters. In this scene, Dimmesdale hints that he is the father, and Chillingworth vows to himself that he will punish the father. This scene introduces most of the central ideas for the story and helps us get to know most of the characters in a short amount of time.
The ending scene is the scene where Dimmesdale dies, with Hester and Pearl beside him on the scaffold and Chillingworth laying at the bottom of the steps, whining about how Dimmesdale escaped. In this scene, we learn of Dimmesdale’s self-mutilation and the true severity of his self-torture. Also, it unveils his extreme internal conflict.
Literary techniques/Motifs
Symbols/Archetypes
Literary Techniques-
Imagery- Hawthorne uses plant imagery throughout the story.
Details of the setting (include changes in setting)
Significance of setting to the meaning of the work
The Scarlet Letter is set in Boston in the mid-1600’s. There are a number of different settings inside this, including Dimmesdale and Chillingworth’s quarters, the scaffold at night and day, Hester’s cottage, the Governor’s home, and the forest.
The setting of Boston in the mid-1600s is important to the work mainly because of the people. If it was set at any time afterwards, the people would have seemed out of context with their weird beliefs and practices and their strange forms of punishment and just the way they go about things. Also, the setting of the work goes along with the culture’s belief in the Black Man, or the Devil, being active in society on Earth. This belief was only held for a few hundred years. This sets a whole tone for the story, because it was widely believed that Hester had conceived Pearl with the Black Man.
Significance of the opening scene
Significance of the ending scene
The opening scene of The Scarlet Letter is when Hester comes out of the prison to serve her time on the scaffold. This scene introduces the central plot of the story, and also many of the main characters. In this scene, Dimmesdale hints that he is the father, and Chillingworth vows to himself that he will punish the father. This scene introduces most of the central ideas for the story and helps us get to know most of the characters in a short amount of time.
The ending scene is the scene where Dimmesdale dies, with Hester and Pearl beside him on the scaffold and Chillingworth laying at the bottom of the steps, whining about how Dimmesdale escaped. In this scene, we learn of Dimmesdale’s self-mutilation and the true severity of his self-torture. Also, it unveils his extreme internal conflict.
Literary techniques/Motifs
Symbols/Archetypes
Literary Techniques-
Imagery- Hawthorne uses plant imagery throughout the story.