"Interview", "Hester at Her Needle", "Pearl" & "The Governor's Hall" Discussion Questions

"The Interview"

1. Why is Esther so afraid and unnerved by Roger Chillingworth?

2. Does Roger Chillingworth really love Esther? (68-69 refusing to reveal their relationship)

"Hester at Her Needle"

1. How have the binaries of light and dark changed for Esther?

2. Is Esther ashamed or comforted (or both) by her crime?

3. Is Esther's reluctance to stand up for herself or leave New England a sign of feminism?

4. Does Esther view her happiness as a sin?


"Pearl"

1. What was Hawthorne's purpose in the naming and description of Pearl (80-81) ?

2. Why does Pearl "seem intent on proving she has a heart, by breaking it" (83) ?

3. What is Hawthorne trying to ironize with the description of the Puritans as the "most intolerable brood that ever lived" (85) ?


"The Governor's Hall"

1. Why doesn't Hester do anything to stop the ridicule of Pearl, who always challenges her enemies?

2. What does Hawthorne mean when referring to the rationing of sunlight (93) ?

3. What are roses symbolic of? (in color, thorns, beauty, use, etc.)