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Juniors ~ Scarlet Letter Ch 9-12

There is NO vocabulary homework for the next reading assignment! Please answer the following questions for Friday 11/3 and be ready for a quiz:

Chapter 9: “The Leech”

  1. To whom in the colony does Chillingworth attach himself as a medical advisor?
  2. Describe Dimmesdale’s health.
  3. What gesture has become Dimmesdale’s habit?
  4. Quote a sentence from this chapter that associates Chillingworth with evil.
  5. What two opposing views do the townspeople hold about Roger Chillingworth?

Chapter 10: “The Leech and His Patient”

  1. What “investigation” consumes Chillingworth?
  2. Who is Chillingworth’s main suspect and victim?
  3. What is a leech? What double meaning does the world “leech” have?
  4. What secret does Chillingworth believe is buried in Dimmesdale’s heart?
  5. Why would Dimmesdale live with guilt and not confess his sin openly?
  6. What reaction does Pearl have to Chillingworth when she sees him with Rev. Dimmesdale?
  7. What discovery does Chillingworth make when Dimmesdale falls “into a deep, deep slumber”?

Chapter 11: “The Interior of a Heart”

  1. What effect does Reverend Dimmesdale’s guilt have upon his popularity in the colony?
  2. What practices does Dimmesdale begin as a result of his guilt?

Chapter 12: “The Minister’s Vigil”

  1. What is a vigil? Where does Dimmesdale hold his vigil?
  2. Why are Hester and Pearl out at midnight ?
  3. What promise does Dimmesdale refuse to make to Pearl ?
  4. What is miraculous about the meteor?
  5. Quote a line that shows Chillingworth as a symbol of evil (different from above).

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