Analysis Of Chapter 1 Of The Scarlet Letter

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Recommended: Analysis of The Scarlet Letter

Nelia Elmera
Mrs. Mooney
English 3 H
January 4, 2014
The Scarlet Letter

Chapter 1-The Prison Door
The first chapter explains symbols in this novel. It begins with men and women assembling in front of a jail. The iron spikes on the door to the jail let us know that the jail was made to hold criminals who were dangerous. The rose bushes that are next to the prison door “offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in”. This chapter also mentions that building a jail and a cemetery was important for the founders of the town.
C: It’s kind of morbid and cruel that one of the first things on the founders’ minds was to build a jail and a cemetery
C/I: There has to be a reason why the townspeople would put such a beautiful thing (the rosebush) next to something so depressing (the jail).

Chapter 2-The Market Place
A group of women discuss Hester Prynne and her fate for committing the serious moral crime of adultery. Leaving from the jail, Hester clutches her three month old baby, and makes her way to a scaffold in the market place. Instead of hiding her face in shame, she is forced to show off her child, who is a product of adultery, and the red “A” for adulterer embroidered on her chest . While on the scaffold, Hester remembers her entire life and is snapped back into reality by all the glares from judgmental eyes of all ages. pg.42 C: I wonder when the idea that small delicate women are prettier came about pg. 51 Q: Would they really send her to jail even if she had the baby? Who would take care of him or her? pg. 53 C: I don’t think anyone is thinking about the baby… pg. 55 C: Hester must’ve been extremely strong to be able to deal with such criticism pg. 56 Q: Where are Hester’s parents? Are they de...

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...es along with what Dimmesdale is dealing with causes him to physically hurt himself. He fasts, whips himself, and constantly meditates on his sin. After the vision, he prepares to go to where Hester experienced publicly ignominy.
C: I am now totally and utterly convinced that Dimmesdale is Pearl’s father
I/C: I think the vision shows that Dimmesdale also should be wearing the scarlet letter because he also harbors the sin of adultery
C: I feel bad for Dimmesdale. This sin seems to be literally eating away at him
I/C: I feel like his heart pains may have a connection to his sin and where the scarlet letter should be embroidered pg. 143 I: I think Dimmesdale is going to confess his sin

Chapter 12-The Minister’s Vigil
When Dimmesdale arrives at the scaffold where Hester had been humiliates years before, he screams out in pain but is ignored by the townspeople.

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