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The Scarlet Letter Test Review

Total questions: 61

Worksheet time: 41mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What is the primary setting of "The Scarlet Letter"?

a)

Boston, late 1600s

b)

New York, early 1700s

c)

Salem, mid-1600s

d)

London, late 1600s

2.

Who is Pearl's father?

a)

Roger Chillingworth

b)

Governor Bellingham

c)

Arthur Dimmesdale

d)

None of the above

3.

What does the scarlet letter "A" primarily represent?

a)

Adultery

b)

Anger

c)

Acceptance

d)

Atonement

4.

What is the relationship between Hester Prynne and Roger Chillingworth?

a)

Siblings

b)

Married, but estranged

c)

Close friends

d)

No relation

5.

How does the community's view of Hester change over the years?

a)

They respect her less.

b)

Their disdain grows.

c)

They begin to see her as an asset to the community.

d)

Their view remains unchanged.

6.

How does Arthur Dimmesdale's internal conflict affect his health and psyche?

a)

It has no effect on him.

b)

It strengthens his resolve and health.

c)

It leads to his physical and mental deterioration.

d)

It makes him more popular among his congregation.

7.

In what way does "The Scarlet Letter" critique the Puritan society?

a)

By highlighting its economic successes

b)

Through its portrayal of strong, independent women

c)

By showcasing the society's compassion and forgiveness

d)

Through its depiction of hypocrisy and judgmental attitudes

8.

What is the ultimate fate of Roger Chillingworth?

a)

He becomes a beloved figure in the community.

b)

He dies alone and miserable, leaving his estate to Pearl.

c)

He reconciles with Hester and Dimmesdale.

d)

He moves back to England and starts a new life.

9.

How does Pearl serve as a living symbol in the novel?

a)

As a symbol of Hester's sin

b)

As a symbol of all things created by evil

c)

As a symbol of the Puritanical legal system

d)

As a symbol of grace in the church

10.

What does the sunlight failing to shine on Hester symbolize?

a)

Her ultimate redemption

b)

The community's acceptance

c)

Her exclusion from purity and innocence

d)

The warmth of her character

11.

How does Hester's perception of the scarlet letter change throughout the novel?

a)

It remains a symbol of shame for her.

b)

It becomes a symbol of her strength and resilience.

c)

It becomes meaningless to her.

d)

It symbolizes her love for Dimmesdale.

12.

What does the rosebush near the prison door symbolize?

a)

The harshness of the Puritanical society

b)

Hope and moral blossoming

c)

Hester's beauty

d)

The blood of the sinners

13.

How does "The Scarlet Letter" reflect the historical and cultural context of the 17th-century Puritan New England?

a)

Through its detailed description of colonial life

b)

By incorporating real historical figures and events

c)

Through its critique of Puritanical values and societal norms

d)

All of the above

14.

Who is often described as “elf-like”?

a)

Pearl

b)

Hester

c)

Dr. Chillingworth

d)

Rev. Dimmesdale

e)

Mistress Hibbins

15.

Who tries to tempt Rev. Dimmesdale to meet with the devil in the woods?

a)

Pearl

b)

Hester

c)

Dr. Chillingworth

d)

Governor Billingham

e)

Mistress Hibbins

16.

How does Hester earn a living?

a)

By growing crops

b)

By healing other people

c)

By her needlework

d)

By selling wood in Boston

17.

When John Wilson asks Pearl who who maker is, Pearl replies:

a)

That sin made her

b)

That she was plucked off of a rose bush

c)

That Hester and Dimmesdale made her

d)

That God made her

18.

To whom does Hawthorne apply the term "The Leech"?

a)

Hester

b)

Dimmesdale

c)

Chillingworth

d)

Pearl

19.

Which of the following is a method Dimmesdale uses to punish himself for his sins?

a)

Scourging or whipping

b)

Fasting

c)

Vigils (extended periods of wakefulness and/or prayer)

d)

All of the above

20.

What physical deformity did Hester's husband have?

a)

He was missing a foot

b)

One shoulder was higher than the other

c)

He was missing three fingers

d)

His nose was extremely crooked

21.

Where did Dimmesdale frequently put his hand?

a)

On his forehead

b)

None of these

c)

Over his mouth

d)

Over his heart

22.

What does the scarlet letter look like?

a)

Very plain and severe, like most Puritan decorations

b)

Artistically done, with elaborate embroidery and flourishes of gold thread

c)

A plain "A" twined with a thorny rosebush

d)

Small and understated, so that it blends into Hester's dress

23.

What promise does Chillingworth demand from Hester?

a)

That she will not have a physical relationship with anyone else for the rest of her life

b)

That she will reveal the name of her lover and the father of her child within a year

c)

That she will not tell anyone about their previous relationship and that he is her husband

d)

That she will not remain silent and will not reveal the name of her lover

24.

At the end of the story........

a)

Hester and Pearl leave London

b)

Hester returns to Boston, but Pearl does not

c)

Hester gets remarried and lives happily

d)

Hester dies and Pearl gets married

25.
What kind of spectacle have the townspeople of Boston gathered to witness at the beginning of the novel? 
a)
 A The public humiliation of Hester Prynne
b)
B The public execution of Hester Prynne
c)
 C The birth of Pearl
d)
 D The confession of Arthur Dimmesdale
26.
The townsman tells the stranger that the judge has been lenient with Hester because of her youth and because she is probably a widow. What was the severest possible punishment for adultery in the Massachusetts colony? 
a)
 Capital Punishment 
b)
Branding the letter on the body
c)
Deportation 
d)
 Public Humiliation 
27.
What does Pearl do after Dimmesdale says that Hester should get to keep Pearl? 
a)
Laid her cheek against his hand
b)
Kissed his forehead
c)
Threw a rose at him
d)
Called him the Black Man
28.

Who is described as having a "quiet depth of malice"?

a)

Chillingworth

b)

Dimmesdale

c)

Hester

d)

Bellingham

29.

Ch. 9 - As both Chillingworth and Dimmesdale begin to suffer physically, what does the outward state of their bodies reflect?

a)

Their hard-earned wisdom

b)

Their moral values

c)

Their deep bond

d)

Their inner turmoil

30.

Ch. 10 - What does Chillingworth suspect is causing Dimmesdale's physical suffering?

a)

Anxiety from writing his sermons

b)

Fear of dying

c)

A rare illness

d)

Stress from keeping a secret

31.

Ch. 10 - What does Pearl do when she notices that Dimmesdale is watching her and Hester in the graveyard?

a)

Pearl gives Dimmesdale a flower and tells Hester that he is a kind man.

b)

Pearl throws a burr at Dimmesdale and warns Hester that the Black Man has possessed him.

c)

Pearl hides behind Hester and tells her that Dimmesdale is dangerous.

d)

Pearl runs up to Dimmesdale and asks him to reveal his secret to Hester.

32.

Ch. 10 - What does Chillingworth do while Dimmesdale is asleep?

a)

He draws a mark of the occult on Dimmesdale's ankle.

b)

He pushes aside Dimmesdale's shirt and sees something on his chest.

c)

He writes a letter to Hester in Dimmesdale's handwriting.

d)

He searches in Dimmesdale's dresser and finds a letter confessing everything.

33.
Ch. 11 - Why does Chillingworth embark on a campaign to make Dimmesdale as miserable as possible?
a)

He is convinced that Dimmesdale is Pearl's father.

b)

He believes that is the only way to end Dimmesdale's suffering.

c)

He thinks Dimmesdale is plotting to expose him as Pearl's husband.

d)

He understands that Dimmesdale has been possessed by Satan.

34.

Ch. 11 - As Dimmesdale punishes himself physically and emotionally for his sin, what does the novel imply is the only thing that will relieve his suffering?

a)

A change in his environment

b)

A stronger relationship with Chillingworth

c)

Seeking professional help

d)

Confessing his sin

35.

Ch. 11 - What does Dimmesdale's description of himself in a sermon as a "pollution and a lie" suggest about the way his sin has affected him?

a)

It has made him more judgmental of other sinners.

b)

It has allowed him to empathize with other sinners.

c)

It has isolated him from other sinners' struggles.

d)

It has caused him to feel superior to other Puritans.

36.

Ch. 12 - Which of the following best describes why Dimmesdale climbs the town scaffold at night?

a)

To privately relive the experience of Hester and Pearl

b)

To practice delivering a sermon to the townspeople

c)

To plan his escape from the town

d)

To secretly meet with Hester and Pearl

37.
Ch. 12 - What does Pearl ask Dimmesdale to do when they meet on the scaffold?
a)

To secretly leave the town that night

b)

To admit his sin to her and Hester in private

c)

To appear on the scaffold with her and Hester in public

d)

To confess his love for Hester

38.

Ch. 12 - What does the fact that the townspeople believe the letter "A" in the sky stands for "angel," reflect about their character?

a)

Their blindness to the sinning in their midst

b)

Their compassion for the sinners in their midst

c)

Their faith in God's mercy and forgiveness

d)

All of the above

39.
Pearl is considered to be the living embodiment of the scarlet letter. This is an example of what?
a)
Symbolism
b)
Personification
c)
Anthromorpism
d)
Mood
40.
Hester plans her escape with Dimmesdale and Pearl to...
a)
The Old World (Europe)
b)
The woods
c)
Canada, eh
d)
Nowhere; she does not have the courage to run away.
41.
Which character correctly assumes that Dimmesdale was in the forest?
a)
Chillingworth
b)
Pearl
c)
Hester
d)
Mistress Hibbins
42.

Which of these sins is Dimmesdale NOT tempted to do, after meeting with Hester in the woods?

a)
Teach curse words to young children.
b)
Curse and yell at an older widow.
c)
Whisper blasphemous things about the communion supper to a deacon.
d)
Encourage sin in a young woman.
43.

Over time, the townspeople began to believe that the scarlet letter stood for _______ instead of its original meaning.

a)

Angel

b)

Aggrivated

c)

Active

d)

Able

44.
Meaning of the word ignominy: 
a)
Shy and timid
b)
Sin
c)
Old and worn down
d)
Public shame or disgrace
45.

When Chillingworth tells Hester the townspeople are discussing allowing Hester to take off her scarlet letter, she says:

a)

No, I must continue to be an example against sin

b)

No, if I didn't deserve this letter, it would fall off

c)

Yes, I will finally remove the letter and be forgiven of my sin

d)

Yes, because the letter has faded both in appearance and in meaning after all these years

46.
Pearl connects the scarlet letter with...
a)
Hester living alone by the sea
b)
Her father who must be in heaven
c)
Chillingworth's cruelty
d)
Dimmesdale placing his hand over his heart
47.
The one who is "worse than even the polluted priest," who "violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of a human heart." 
a)
Dimmesdale
b)
Chillingworth
c)
Pearl
d)
Governor Bellingham
48.

Hester makes two token gestures that symbolize their newly found freedom.

a)

Dances in the sunlight with Pearl

b)

Places her hand over her heart

c)

Lets her hair down

d)

Removes the A

49.

Hester tries to convince Dimmesdale to do what during their walk in the woods?

a)

to run away and live elsewhere

b)

to get rid of Chillingworth

c)

to marry her

d)

to adopt Pearl

50.

What does Pearl do when she first sees her mother without the scarlet letter?

a)

She is excited for her mother

b)

She convulses and screams

c)

She runs away

d)

She runs to hug her mother

51.
What convinced the Governor to let Hester keep Pearl?
a)
Hester would constantly remind Pearl of the consequences of sin.
b)
Rev. Dimmesdale promised to watch the mother and child closely & report anything that might interest the governor
c)
Hester agreed to allow Chillingworth live with her and Pearl, so they could all be a "real family."
d)
It was just a whim, as was his customary way of making decisions.
52.

What "sign" did the meteor make in the sky?

a)

A crucifix

b)

the letter "A"

c)

A frown

d)

A pitchfork

53.
Why does Pearl refuse to cross the stream to join Hester and Dimmesdale 
a)
She is scared of Dimmesdale 
b)
She doesn't recognize Hester without the scarlet letter 
c)
She can't swim and is afraid she will drown
d)
She has decided to run away and hates her mother
54.

What information did Hester refuse to tell the officials and Mr. Dimmesdale during her initial punishment on the scaffold?

a)
Against whom she had committed libel
b)
Where her former husband had gone
c)
The name of the man who had sinned with her
d)
The age of her daughter
55.

What does Dimmesdale do on the scaffold after he finishes his Election Day Sermon?

a)
He resigns from his position as minister.
b)
He confesses his sin of adultery.
c)
He faints
d)
He asks the crowd for forgiveness.
56.

What does Chillingworth vow to do at the beginning of the novel?

a)

Find out who Hester had the baby with

b)

Marry Hester

c)

Become a doctor

d)

Have a child

57.

The scaffold symbolizes

a)

equality

b)

a concert

c)

being above others

d)

punishment and penance

58.

The forest is symbolic to Pearl because

a)

she hates it

b)

she can be herself and feels at peace

c)

it scares her

59.

Why does Hester name her daughter Pearl?

a)

She is pretty

b)

Pearl means innocence

c)

She came at a great cost

60.

As the book progresses, Chillingworth looks more and more like:

a)

the devil

b)

Dimmesdale

c)

his father

d)

a Native American

61.

What type of conflict exists between Dimmesdale and the guilt of his sin?

a)

man vs. man

b)

man vs. self

c)

man vs. nature

d)

none of the above