The Scarlet Letter Quiz A Chapters 1-13

What is the name of the minister who questions Hester on the scaffold?

• Roger Chillingworth

• Arthur Dimmesdale

• John Wilson

• Governor Bellingham

What is the name of the place or state of political or social perfection that the narrator mentions in chapter 1?

• Utopia

• Eden

• Arcadia

• Nirvana

What is the one incongruity in the otherwise gloomy scene outside the prison door in chapter 1?

• A rose bush

• A rainbow

• A bird song

• A smiling child

What does the word "iniquity" mean?

• wickedness

• appearance; aspect

• to destroy the self-confidence of

• extremely or purposefully conspicuous usually because of uncommon objectionable evil

What is the meaning of the word "sepulchers" that the narrator uses to describe the burial vaults in chapter 1?

• Tombs or graves

• Statues or monuments

• Flowers or plants

• Candles or lanterns

What is the meaning of the word "abate" as used in the following sentence: "But the point which drew all eyes, and, as it were, transfigured the wearer, - so that both men and women, who had been familiarly acquainted with Hester Prynne, were now impressed as if they beheld her for the first time, - was that SCARLET LETTER, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom. It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and enclosing her in a sphere by herself."

• To reduce in amount or intensity

• To put an end to or stop

• To make more bearable or less severe

• To express sorrow or regret for

What does Hester's husband do to indicate that he knows her and wants her to keep his identity secret?

• He winks at her

• He puts his finger to his lips

• He nods his head

• He waves his hand

What is the first thing that the founders of a new colony always build, according to the narrator?

• A church

• A prison and a cemetery

• A school and a library

• A town hall and a market

What does the word "physiognomies" mean?

• the facial features held to show qualities of mind or character by their configuration or expression

• the act of passing from one proposition, statement, or judgement considered as true to another whose truth is believed to follow from that of the former

• the punishment of hanging

• the quality or state of being improper

What does the stranger learn from a townsman next to him?

• He learns that Hester is his wife and that she has committed adultey.

• He learns that Hester is his sister and that she has been accused of witchcraft.

• He learns that Hester is his daughter and that she has killed her husband.

• He learns that Hester is his former lover and that she has given birth to his child.