The Scarlet Letter: Chapter 2
Guess first. Then read the summary. Then open the answers.
Chapter questions
- Question 1 · Recall
Who comes out of the prison door ahead of Hester Prynne, and how does she answer his touch?
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The town beadle. She pushes him back and steps out as if of her own free will.Reference: Chapter 2, the prison door opens
- Question 2 · Recall
What does Hester wear on her breast, and what is it made of?
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A letter A in scarlet cloth, embroidered with gold thread.Reference: Chapter 2, Hester's appearance
- Question 3 · Recall
How old is the baby Hester carries?
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About three months old.Reference: Chapter 2, Hester comes out with her child
- Question 4 · Why
Why do the Governor, counselors, a judge, a general and ministers watch from a meetinghouse balcony?
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The text lists their offices but gives no stated reason; a reasonable reading is that their presence marks the punishment as official and sanctioned by the town.Reference: Chapter 2, the dignitaries on the balcony
- Question 5 · Why
Why does Hester's mind move to scenes of her English village and her father while she stands on the scaffold?
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The pressure of the crowd's eyes is so heavy that her mind pulls back into memories, until she grips her child and touches the letter and tells herself these are her realities.Reference: Chapter 2, Hester on the scaffold
Chapter summary
On a summer morning a crowd gathers before the Boston prison. Several women in the crowd speak about Hester Prynne. One says women would judge such a case better than the magistrates, another mentions the grief the scandal has caused Reverend Dimmesdale, and a third says Hester should be branded on the forehead. A young wife says the pain inside cannot be seen, and one man defends women against the harshest talk.
The prison door opens, and the beadle comes out with Hester, who pushes his hand aside and steps into the open air as if of her own free will. She carries her infant and wears an elaborate scarlet letter A in gold thread, which looks more like decoration than shame. She is tall, dark-haired and dignified. The beadle announces that she will be displayed, and a group of schoolboys runs ahead of her to the marketplace platform near the first church. She climbs the steps while officials watch from a balcony. Under the weight of countless stares, Hester's thoughts drift to her village, her father and a scholarly man, until she holds her baby and touches the letter.
Come back in a few days and try these 5 again before you open the answers.
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