Lesson Plans The Scarlet Letter

by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Students analyze character and symbolism in The Scarlet Letter by writing a bio poem. This video introduction () includes discussion of The Scarlet Letter and would serve as a good pre-reading activity.
Table of contents

• The Scarlet Letter | Free Lesson Plans | Teachers
• The Scarlet Letter Lesson Plan
• The Scarlet Letter
• Learning Objectives
• A Bite of the Teaching Life

Afterwards, the students will come together and the teacher will lead a class discussion about their findings. After the discussion, the teacher will start a new topic to discuss: Point out that very little information about Pearl is shared at the end of The Scarlet Letter. Ask them to describe Pearl based on the techniques that any author has of presenting a character to readers. That is, ask the following questions: Having established some sense of who Pearl is, ask your students to discuss the following questions or scenarios relating to her life beyond the end of the novel: What antisocial actions might she take?

How would Pearl display normality? After the class discussion, break up the students in groups of three and give the groups of students the following options for putting their thoughts into writing: Ask for comments from the audience on the credibility and authenticity of how Pearl is portrayed in each original piece.

Have students stay in their gropsand let them work on one of the following project: Design a model that replicates a scene from The Scarlet Letter. You model should include some miniature characters. What antisocial actions might she take? How likely is it that Pearl would grow beyond her anger?

How would Pearl display normality? If Pearl survives, what communication if any do you think she will have with her mother back in New England? What role could Pearl play in a new community—witch? If Pearl survives and has a child, what if anything do you think she will tell the child about Hester? After the class discussion, give students or groups of students the following options for putting their thoughts into writing: Writing a short story with Pearl as a young woman of 18 as the main character Writing a letter from Pearl as a young woman of 18 to her mother Writing a scene between Pearl as a young woman of 18 and her mother, whom she goes to visit A doctor's report on the cause of Pearl's death at age 18 5.

Let each student or group of students share the written product with the rest of the class.

Ask for comments from the audience on the credibility and authenticity of how Pearl is portrayed in each original piece. Finally, present the following statement and question to the class for discussion: But we can make judgments on how an author's decision affects us as readers. How do you feel about the open ending that Hawthorne gives the novel in terms of Pearl, and why do you feel that way? Back to Top Discussion Questions 1. Some critics say that Hester Prynne was the first American heroine. Others, however, say that her somewhat silent suffering isn't truly heroic.

What qualities and actions make a character heroic? Are there any heroes or heroic actions in The Scarlet Letter? Arguments can be made not only for Roger Chillingworth and Governor Bellingham, but also perhaps for Arthur Dimmesdale—and even for the Puritan society as a whole. Which of these characters if any do you believe serves as the villain in the novel? What qualities and actions make a character villainous?

If you believe that there are no villains in the story, why do you feel that is the case? Throughout America's history, there have always been laws that regulated citizens' personal behavior. Among the Puritans of the 18th century, for example, adultery was a serious crime, as The Scarlet Letter makes clear. Today we have laws forcing motorcycle riders to wear helmets, laws that make suicide illegal, and laws against speeding on an empty highway, among many others.

Where should society draw the line between personal and political actions? Should society have the right to tell you how to behave on your own time? Why or why not? In recent years, the growing popularity of witchcraft, a neopagan religion with many traditions derived from pre-Christian and prehistoric religions, has caught the public eye. There are stores that sell witchcraft-related wares, movies with witches as heroes, and popular books about pagan religious traditions.

In The Scarlet Letter , however, the portrayal of witches—particularly Mistress Hibbins, the sister of Governor Bellingham, is far more negative. What differences between Puritan New England and American culture today account for the fact that the practice of witchcraft is no longer considered an abhorrent crime?

How has society changed during that span of time?

The authorities ordered Hester Prynne to wear an A as a punishment for her adultery, but nobody told her to make it as beautiful and elaborate as she did. The elegance of the A she embroidered revealed her self-pride, even in the face of her public shame. Can you think of any similar symbols that people wear today? In what ways do people change their appearance to show self-pride, even when others see those changes as sources of shame? What do our outward symbols say about us?

Does the character of Pearl seem realistic?

Then let the creator explain the real meaning. Lesson Extension Consider extending this lesson to let students learn more about Hawthorne's use of symbolism, particularly religious symbols. Have students research Hawthorne's symbols in his story ''Young Goodman Brown. Ask them to present their findings to the class. Register to view this lesson Are you a student or a teacher? I am a student I am a teacher. Unlock Your Education See for yourself why 30 million people use Study.

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Learning Objectives

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A Bite of the Teaching Life

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