1. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter

2. Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864)
Wrote during the period of Romanticism (see literary period chart).
Sometimes called an “anti-Transcendentalist”.
He was the descendent of New England Puritans who prosecuted witches and Quakers, thus inherited guilt of his fore-fathers influencing his darker vision of humanity.
Born in Salem, Massachusetts, 112 years after the witch trials.

3. Historical Context:
Seneca Falls convention to establish basis for political activism in pursuit of women’s rights takes place 2 years before the novel is published.
Although Hawthorne’s social circle contained female activists, he was not a supporter of the movement.
The novel was published a decade before the Civil War. Many people believed that in the mid-nineteenth century the ideals upon which the new nation had been founded (notably the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness) were being betrayed, by industrialization and the growth of cities, by racial oppression and prejudice, and by the unjust treatment of women.

4. Themes in The Scarlet Letter
Repressed guilt is damaging to the individual and must find an outlet.
Society suppresses individual expression.
Rebirth can be achieved through nature.
Society is made up of ugly hypocrisies

5. Literature Circle Expectations:
4 Roles
Summarizer
Character Analyst
Connotations Analyst
Theme Analyst
Each member in your group will fulfill the responsibilities at once. I’ve divided the novel into four sections of about 6-7 chapters.
We will have a super short quiz after each section, and each lit circle contribution will be worth a class work grade.

6. Learning Targets:
By the end of the unit, we will be able to analyze how an author develops meaning through symbolism, figurative language, and character development.
By the end of the unit, we will be able to explain the importance of setting in The Scarlet Letter.

7. Learning Targets:
By the end of the unit, we will be able to identify and analyze poetic devices in Puritan poetry.
By the end of the class, we will have an understanding of Puritan style and values.

8. Class Work:
Sit with reading groups. **Turn in your quiz to the appropriate pile indicated by the sticky notes on the front table. Today, you will read a few Anne Bradstreet poems with your reading groups. Open your text books to page 74-75

9. Next Check Point: October 10 (chapters 13-18)
If your role was connotations, you will have theme for next week.
If your role was characters, you will have connotations for next week.
If your role was summary, you will have characters.
If your role was theme, you will have summary.
REMEMBER YOUR ROLE!