Nathaniel Hawthorne’s

The Scarlet Letter

Historical Tidbit

Nathaniel Hawthorne changed the spelling of his family name from Hathorne to Hawthorne to avoid connection to an ancestor who was one of the magistrates (judges) during the Salem Witch Trials.

The Scarlet Letter

a complex novelan intrusive narratordifficult language and stylestrong female heroinemany symbols (obvious and

traditional and obscure and non-traditional)

The Scarlet Letter

Published in 1850

Set in 1645

The Scarlet Letter Vocabulary

Vocabulary assignment requirements:

• identification of part of speech

• two definitions

The Scarlet Letter Vocabulary

1. affliction

2. amenable

3. appalled

4. auspicious

5. calamity

The Scarlet Letter Vocabulary

6. capricious

7. constrained

8. demeanor

9. edifice

10. effectual

The Scarlet Letter Vocabulary

11. eminent

12. heterodox

13. heterogeneous

14. ignominy

15. importunate

The Scarlet Letter Vocabulary

16. infer

17. inimical

18. lurid

19. mien

20. morbid

The Scarlet Letter Vocabulary

21. pertained

22. premeditated

23. sagacity

24. solace

25. transgressions

The Scarlet Letter Vocabulary

The Scarlet Letter vocabulary assignment is due Wednesday, September 16, 2009.

The Scarlet Letter vocabulary quiz is Friday, September 18, 2009.

The quiz questions are matching and fill in the blank. The quiz is worth 40 points.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a surveyor at the Salem Custom House.

This was a government job received through presidential appointment.

Hawthorne held the job from 1846-1849.

Hawthorne’s office was in the front of the building on the first floor