Nathaniel Hawthorne

a cura di I. Bruschi
 
 Set in the 17th century Puritan Boston, it is a classic of American literature.
 Hester Prynne has preceded her husband to Massachusetts, and has had a daughter from an illicit love affair. She is sentenced to wear a scarlet A (adultery) forever. She refuses to reveal her lover’s name but her husband will find out who he is. The ending is rich in dramatic turns of events.
 The Scarlet Letter is a psychological novel which faces themes such as love and hatred, guilt and punishment, rebellion and double-dealing.
 Stimulating inserts about the period and the themes of the novel enrich the book. 
 
 Teacher's Resources available online: Answer Key - Audioscripts - Key to Summing-up Activities.
 
 È un classico della letteratura statunitense, ambientato nella Boston puritana del XVII secolo. Hester Prynne ha preceduto nel Massachusetts l’anziano marito, e ha avuto una figlia da una relazione illegittima. È condannata a portare sul petto la lettera A (adultera). Si rifiuta di rivelare il nome dell’amante, ma il marito riuscirà a scoprirlo. Romanzo psicologico ricco di colpi di scena e personaggi dalle forti tinte.

Chapter 1 – The Punishment

Chapter 2 – Hester and Pearl

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Extension: The Puritans’ Way of Life

Chapter 3 – The Leech and His Patient

Chapter 4 – Hester and the Doctor

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Extension: The native Americans in Puritan New England

Chapter 5 – A Forest Walk

Chapter 6 – Conclusion

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Extension: Superstition and Witchcraft in Puritan New England

Summing-up activities

Glossary

4  Hester and the Doctor Chapter BEFORE READING 1 As the title tells us, this chapter centers on Hester and Chillingworth. Below is a list of possible reasons for their meeting. Tick the one you think is most likely. c Chillingworth wants to give Hester a medicine for Pearl. c Hester wants to tell Chillingworth that she is going to reveal his secret to Dimmesdale. c Hester has to give Chillingworth a scarf of his that she has embroidered. c Chillingworth wants to kill Hester. c Chillingworth wants to kidnap Pearl. 2 Where do you think Hester and Chillingworth meet? Choose one of the following places by putting a tick on the illustration. 3 Do you think Pearl takes part in Hester s and Chillingworth s meeting? 56 

TheHesterScarlet Letter and the Doctor Chapter 4 H Hester Prynne was shocked by the condition in which she had found Reverend Dimmesdale. His nervous system had been badly attacked. His moral force had been turned into powerless weakness. So, as they were linked by their common crime, she decided to help him. Hester Prynne was not now in the same position as at the beginning of our adventure. Years had come and gone. Pearl was now seven. Her mother, with the scarlet letter on her breast, had become a familiar  object  to the townspeople. Hester had accepted her punishment without complaining1 and had never fought against her fate. She had helped the poor and comforted the sick. The purity of her life during all these years had gradually changed the opinion of the Bostonians in her favor so much that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A with its original meaning: they said that it meant Able. So Boston society was now ready to show its former victim a more benevolent attitude. The rulers, the wise and learned men of the community took longer than the common people to recognize the influence of Hester s good qualities. But, day by day, their severity relaxed into something similar to benevolence. They started to say to strangers,  Do you see that woman with the embroidered A? It s our Hester, who is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comforting to the suffering!  The scarlet letter seemed to give its wearer a kind of sacredness2, which enabled her to walk safely among all dangers. It was reported, and believed by many, that an Indian had shot an arrow3 at the letter, but it fell harmlessly4 to the ground. The effect of the symbol had been strong and powerful on Hester herself   1. complaining: expressing dissatisfaction. 2. sacredness: the quality of something spiritual, holy. 3. arrow: pointed arm used by Red Skins. 4. harmlessly: without causing any damage. 57 

Esplora il classico della letteratura statunitense "La lettera scarlatta" con Hester Prynne condannata per adulterio nella Boston puritana delXVII sec

The Scarlet Letter Collana RAINBOWS

Level B1 • Pre-Intermediate - Collana RAINBOWS

The Scarlet Letter

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