Essential Questions for this novel:

Why is when Hawthorne wrote this novel significant in relation to the novel's setting? 

*Hawthorne is America's first critic.  Who or what does he criticize?

What are the themes of this novel?

*How are the following motifs (light vs. dark, burning A, roses) related to this novel's themes? 

*How are the scaffold scenes significant and what do they represent?

Discuss the relationship between church and state in the 1600s and today.

How is nature represented within this text? 

Discuss this novel as an example of writing during the Romantic Period.

Links for this novel:

Oddly, this website starts with a very full bibliography.  For our purposes, scroll past that to find information on Hawthorne's common themes, influences, and study questions for The Scarlet Letter and several popular short stories by Hawthorne.

Visit this site by The University of Wisconsin to read a short biography of Hawthorne. 

In 1886, The Atlantic Monthly published a review of The Scarlet Letter.  Read this review and compare it to our views today. 

E-Texts:

The following short stories will be utilized for comparison to The Scarlet Letter.  The e-text versions are provided for your convenience. 

Updated links 8/17/09