1. A The Scarlet Letter BY NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE

2. At the heart of The Scarlet Letter… IS A JUICY LOVE STORY BETWEEN A MINISTER AND A LONELY WOMAN. IT IS A STORY OF BETRAYAL, LUST, FEAR, JEALOUSY, AND SIN. SOUNDS LIKE A SALACIOUS “JERRY SPRINGER” STORY, RIGHT?

3. Introduction  Although written almost 150 years ago, The Scarlet Letter contains concepts and insights relevant to contemporary readers.  The themes of alienation, appearance versus reality, and breaking society’s rules are ones to which many teenagers can readily relate. Viewed in this light, the novel can be approached as the story of a woman who let her heart rule her head and suffered the consequences.  Today’s readers may feel sympathy for Hester Prynne; anger towards Arthur Dimmesdale’s hypocrisy; and disgust towards Roger Chillingworth’s evil revenge.

4. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Life  Was born July 4, 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts  After his father dies of yellow fever, Hawthorne (who was four years old), his mother, and sisters lived with his mother’s relatives.  Following graduation from Bowdoin College, New Brunswick, Main, in 1825, Hawthorne returned to Salem where he struggled to as a short story writer for 12 years.  He published Twice-Told Tales in 1837.  From 1839-1841, he worked as a measurer in the Boston Custom House.  In 1842, he married Sophia Peabody.  The Scarlet Letter, published in 1850, brought him recognition as an author.  He published The House of Seven Gables in 1851.  He died on May 19, 1864, at Plymouth, New Hampshire.

5. Hawthorne’s Literary Times  He wrote during the Romantic Period with Emerson, Thoreau, Melville, Beecher Stowe, Poe, and Whitman.  The Scarlet Letter is considered a piece of American Romantic literature because it is set in a remote past, the Puritan era 200 years prior to Hawthorne’s time, and because it deals with the interior psychology of individual characters

6. Before Reading SOMETIMES YOU HEAR ABOUT A BOOK BEFORE ACTUALLY READING IT. MAYBE SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS READ THIS NOVEL? WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE SCARLET LETTER?

7. Themes  MANY IDEAS HAWTHORNE EXPLORES ARE STILL IMPORTANT TODAY AND FREQUENTLY RECUR IN OTHER LITERARY WORKS.

8. Theme 1: Alienation YOU WILL EACH HAVE A LABEL ON YOUR BACK. YOU WILL GO AROUND THE ROOM, BUT YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TALK. INSTEAD YOU MUST USE NON-VERBAL LANGUAGE TO COMMUNICATE THE SOCIAL STATUS INDICATED BY THE OTHER STUDENTS’ LABELS.

9. Thoughts?  “Ostracized” students…what did it feel like to be shunned by your classmates?  “Community Members”…how did it feel to be “liked?” and how did it feel to “shun” your peers?

10. Theme 2: Appearance VS Reality 1.CITE EXAMPLES, WITHER FROM READINGS OR EXPERIENCE, OF PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT REALLY WHAT THEY SEEMED TO BE. 2.CITE EXAMPLES FROM RECENT HISTORY OF EVENTS THAT WERE NOT WHAT THEY SEEMED TO BE.

11. Theme 2: Breaking Society’s Rules 1.LIST THE RULES SOCIETY SETS CONCERNING RELATIONSHIPS. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THESE RULES ARE BROKEN? 2.DISCUSS HISTORICAL EVENTS IN WHICH GROUPS OF PEOPLE BROKE SOCIETY’S RULES. WHAT WERE THE OUTCOME OF THESE EVENTS?

12. Language  Hawthorne tells the story using vocabulary and a writing style familiar to readers in 1850. The speech of the characters in the story, however, is that of Puritans in the early 1600s. Yet to many of contemporary readers, the speech of the Puritans seems more familiar than the “more modern” language of Hawthorne’s time.  All this to say, the overall difficulty of the language frequently frustrates students and can hinder any enjoyment of and appreciation for the story.  SO, rather than belabor the problem by explicating (analyze to reveal meaning) passages at length, I want you to become involved with the novel’s language by:  Looking for interesting, impressive, and/or amusing words, phrases, or passages (ex: brazen hussy)  Reading the novel aloud to appreciate the cadence (flow) of the language  Looking for “words” of wisdom”

13. Characters THE MAJOR CHARACTERS MAY SEEM DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND, EVEN THOUGH, OR PERHAPS BECAUSE, HAWTHORNE PROVIDES SO MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT THEM. AS YOU READ, YOU WILL DISCOVER & WE WILL DISCUSS THE COMPLEX NATURES, MOTIVATIONS, AND RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE CHARACTERS.

14. Cover analysis  The mood or tone of a story is the author's attempt to create the atmosphere of story. The mood evokes an emotional response from the reader and lets the reader know how the characters feel. It may stay the same throughout a story, or it may changed, depending on circumstances and events. The author's descriptions and the characters' dialogue and actions express the mood of the story. Mood can be stated or implied.  Give your impressions of the mood conveyed by the title and jacket artwork in a free write. There are 4 covers to choose from (yours is #1).  After read a small section of the book, to see if the mood changes from what you wrote. If not, write the change.

15. Cover #2 Cover #3 Cover #4

16. Read the back of the book summary A

17. Before we read…know this:  Because the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, respects the intelligence of his readers, he does not feed us the story through a moment by moment plot line, but rather dedicates his chapters to painting particular scenes or digging into the minds of particular characters.  The compilation of these topic-specific chapters results in The Scarlet Letter, a moving tale about passion, shame, and the many weaknesses of the human soul. Bit by bit, as each chapter reveals the innards of another mind or the motivation and results of another interaction, we are able to piece together the harsh reality of the Puritan world and the impending doom that awaits the characters.  This is not a story about the physical actions of the characters. One must focus instead upon the psychology to the tale, for that is where the conflict, both internal and external, lies. Conflicting intentions and the creeping destruction of guilt against a man’s will to live are the adversaries here. No character in this story is truly in the right, and though perhaps despicable, no character is truly in the wrong. They are all understandable. Every act is in some way justifiable. They are, in other words, human, and very much mortal. This is not a story where it matters which character’s side we are on, or which characters we love or hate. We are the observers of a tale that has already occurred

18. Discussion DO YOU BELIEVE HUMANS CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY (FUTURE), OR ARE WE SIMPLY FOLLOWING A PATH THAT IS CONTROLLED BY A HIGHER POWER? HOW DO YOU THINK A PURITAN WOULD HAVE ANSWERED THIS QUESTION?

19. Symbolism  What is symbolism? What examples of symbols exist in your lives? (like red in a stoplight; the cross on someone’s necklace).  What might the title refer to? What might the color “scarlet” symbolize? What might the “A” symbolize?  Think of one object and one color that you think could have a deeper meaning in your own life.

20. Ch 1: Seeing the Prison Door  Discussion: if you were going to write a story (or make a film) about a woman who was on trial for committing a crime, what would be your opening scene (time and place)? Describe the setting in detail. Within your tables, come up with a scenario.  How does time and place affect a story you tell?  Turn to chapter 1. What do you learn from the title of this chapter about the setting?  Close your book. What does it mean to visualize something? As I read Chapter one, I want you to close your eyes and LISTEN to what you are hearing.  Now, as I re-read chapter one, write any DESCRIPTIVE WORDS as you listen, still visualizing,  Finally, as I re-read chapter one, write down words you don’t understand (don’t worry about spelling)  Let’s discuss

21. What to do  YOU WILL NOW TRANSFORM PARAGRAPH 1 OF CHAPTER 1 INTO A VISUAL IMAGE; ARTISTIC SKILL IS NOT THE POINT. THE POINT IS TO INCLUDE AS MUCH DETAIL AS POSSIBLE, EVEN USING SYMBOLS IN YOUR DRAWINGS INSTEAD OF GOING INTO GREAT DETAIL.

22. Assignments while reading: YOU WILL HAVE JOURNAL ENTRIES FOR EVERY CHAPTER THAT YOU WILL NEED TO ANSWER THOUGHTFULLY AND THOROUGHLY. TITLE EACH WITH THE CHAPTER TITLE. YOU WILL HAND THIS IN TYPED WITH A COVER PAGE (DISCUSSED LATER). ALSO, THERE IS A STUDY GUIDE TO HELP GUIDE YOUR READING FOR YOUR FINAL ASSESSMENT.

23. Journal Prompts begin HTTP://PATMARSHALL.WEEBLY.COM/UPLOADS/4/8/0/6/480 6631/SCARLET_LETTER_JOURNALS.PDF

24. Final assignment FIRST, WRITE DOWN ONE NEGATIVE THING ABOUT YOURSELF. DON’T TELL OR SHOW ANYONE. THEN, WEAR THE FIRST LETTER OF THE WORD ALL DAY(EX: IF YOU PICK PROCRASTINATION, YOU WOULD WEAR P).THE LETTER MUST BE AT LEAST 4X5. FINALLY, GET ALL OF YOUR TEACHERS TO SIGN THEY SEE YOU WEARING THE LETTER, WRITE ½ PAGE ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE OF WEARING YOUR LETTER ALL DAY, AND TURN THIS IN ALONG WITH YOUR LETTER..