The Prison Door Chapter Summary

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Chapter 1 “The Prison Door” 1. What colony is the setting for the novel? Boston, Massachusetts 2. Where in the colony does the opening chapter take place? Outside the prison door 3. For what 2 “practical necessities” did the new colony set aside land? A cemetery and a jail – the implications of which suggest that two things that must be expected in life are death and sin 4. What 2 possible symbols does the rose have for the reader? The rose suggests goodness, a possibility for hope for the sinners who walk out of the dark door of the prison cell or perhaps pity for the criminal as he or she walks through the prison door. NOTE: Anne Hutchinson – was a prominent religious leader in Boston who…show more content…
Why did Hester name her child Pearl? “…she names the infant ‘Pearl,’ as being of great price, -- purchased with all she had, -- her mother’s only treasure!” 2. What does the Scarlet Letter mean to Pearl? At this point, the A is a fascination. As a baby, Pearl seems instinctively drawn the A. Symbolically, this suggests a connection between the baby and the A as they are born from the same sin, but some may speculate that the decorative nature of the letter during a time period of particularly bland dress would draw one’s attention. As she grows older, Pearl tortures her mother by giving attention the A. One might argue that the dark nature of her birth (sinful in fact) gives her the impish behavior that inspires her to press Hester’s buttons. 3. What did the townspeople say about Pearl? “the neighboring townspeople, who, seeking vainly elsewhere for the child’s paternity, and observing some of her odd attributes, had given out that poor little Pearl was a demon offspring; such as, ever since old Catholic times, had occasionally been seen on earth, through the agency of their mothers’ sin” Chapter 7: “The Governor’s Hall” 1. Name 2 reasons Hester visits Governor

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