2. The narrator urges the reader to learn from Dimmesdale’s experience. Do you think “Be true!” is the most important theme in The Scarlet Letter? If you agree with the narrator explain why. If you disagree, explain which theme you think is most important.
1. The meaning of the scarlet letter changes throughout the story. Hester tells Chillingworth that the scarlet letter has been her teacher. What lessons does she learn from it? Explain.
2. The narrator urges the reader to learn from Dimmesdale’s experience. Do you think “Be true!” is the most important theme in The Scarlet Letter? If you agree with the narrator explain why. If you disagree, explain which theme you think is most important.
60 Comments
Connor Atwell
7/3/2018 01:51:01 pm
1. The meaning of the letter A changes throughout the story. It has meant sorrow, penance, guilt, and angel. It also had a different meaning for different characters. For Hester, it was a sign of her guilt. For Dimmesdale, it's a sign of his sin. The lesson Hester learned from the letter was one of sympathy. The author says that Hester could often be seen in houses of pain and sorrow, thus changing the meaning of the A to angel. Hester learned to sympathize with others because at one point she was the lowest. She had the greatest pain and guilt, so she learned how to help others deal with their pain.
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James Frazier
7/23/2018 11:09:02 am
I agree that the letter originally stands for her guilt and is a symbol of her sin
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Lindsey Diamond
7/9/2018 09:59:08 am
1. Hester learned many life lessons from the burden of the scarlet letter. The letter taught her how to be strong through shame, dispair, and solitude. She learnt how to be humble and help others even when they gave her no such help. It also taught her how to bring joy to others. She gave Dimmesdale hope to continue on and face his sins. She also learnt that it was better off to face the truth than to hide from from it and let it burn in your heart longer with Dimmesdale as an example of the pain caused by such burden.
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Clayton Stoddard
7/17/2018 06:34:04 pm
One thing that the letter took away his her joyful spirit so you can argue that no joy came from the Scarlet A.
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Anne Simmons
7/24/2018 03:26:40 pm
I have to disagree with clayton,even as she did the action the get the Scarlet letter there was a reason behind her doing it to get the letter and why she acted on the action. She might have some regret in guilt but she got her child who she cherishes and rejoices over so much, Pearl.
Lauren Dossett
7/27/2018 09:08:28 pm
Although the A did cause Hester to lose her tenderness and compassion for a while, I would argue that the letter did eventually bring some joy. She found joy in her daughter's life which she could now life to the fullest without torment. 7/18/2018 08:17:12 am
Although I see where you are coming from, I disagree with you on the point that Hester and her letter gave Dimmesdale hope to continue on and face his sin. I believe that he felt to guilty to continue on and felt he had to confess. Also, when he finally did, he died right after.
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Lauren Johnson
7/28/2018 12:12:49 pm
I don't think the letter took away from her joy. She never allowed it to affect her. I believe her joyful spirit left her after she committed adultery. The return of her spirit shows the theme of self-acceptance. Despite what she had done, she accepted her flaws and found joy and healing in Pearl.
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Carmen DeStazio
7/28/2018 03:11:05 pm
I agree with what Clayton said. She did learn a lot from having the scarlet letter and was able to overcome what had happened, but once her joyful spirit was gone, it didn't really come back in her life even though she shared it with others
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Avery King
7/9/2018 11:29:14 am
1. Along with her suffering, Hester learned many lessons from the scarlet letter. She learned the power of love through her daughter Pearl. Not only did she strive to give Pearl the best life possible, but she also became a mother figure to the whole community. Hester also learned the power of kindness and good works. At the beginning of the novel, Hester was completely alienated from her community. Even when her neighbors despised her, Hester still gave to community using her talent of sewing. Eventually, the people realized that Hester was an asset to the community and forgave her for her sin.
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Jacob Roberts
7/22/2018 03:38:54 pm
I agree that "Be True!" is a part of the novel's theme and think it can also be seen through Chillingworth's character. He hides his true identity from the town and begins to live the rest of his life on exacting revenge on Dimmesdale, which leads him to an evil life.
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Gracie Davenport
7/25/2018 08:47:40 pm
I agree that not only does the theme have to do with Dimmesdale and Hester, it relates to Chillingworth because he was the opposite of being true to himself. He lied to everyone and hid his true identity. He should have just been honest about himself.
Ethan Parks
7/17/2018 01:56:39 pm
1. The scarlet letter taught Hester many lessons throughout her time wearing it. The letter started out as a punishment, but overtime it became a teacher for Hester by teaching her about repentance, forgiveness, and care, especially towards her daughter Pearl.
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Malea Marchioni
7/18/2018 11:10:55 am
I agree with your statement about the theme. Hester was able to get over her suffering and learn to live through it, but Dimmesdale hid it so long he suffered terribly. He could not learn how to live his life normally and it eventually became too big for him to handle.
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Mitchell Badurak
7/25/2018 06:27:46 pm
I agree with Ethan. Be True is a great theme for the story. Because Hester was honest about her mistake she prevented all the guilt she would've had by lying about it.
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Gabriela Patino
7/28/2018 08:45:18 am
I agree that the Letter was meant to serve as a punishment and mark of sin and that overtime Hester began to see it more as a teacher. She was able to became stronger and not cave into the judgement of others.
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Clayton Stoddard
7/17/2018 06:32:36 pm
1. It taught Hester how to strive through adversity. She was at the lowest point she could have possibly gone to and she slowly and roughly worked herself back up to the top to be a normal member of society again.
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Ethan Parks
7/18/2018 10:30:28 am
I agree, Dimmesdale could have avoided the guilt that was tearing him apart throughout the story if he had just been true to the people.
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Lindsey Diamond
7/20/2018 11:33:36 am
I agree that the letter helped Hester retain her state of being, but I do not believe that Hester became a normal member of society again. In the end she still lived outside the village and counseled young women, but she was never accepted into society as a normal citizen. People saw her and thought of her sin; they would never forget the story of Hester Prynne.
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Connor Atwell
7/31/2018 09:16:31 am
I agree how the letter taught Hester to strive through adversity as you said. She carried on her life despite the letter branding her as an adulterer.
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Tyler
7/31/2018 07:24:09 pm
I agree with your second statement, telling the truth is always much easier than trying to lie to yourself or others about your sins
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7/18/2018 08:12:52 am
1. In the beginning the letter was a sign of her shame, sorrow, guilt, and sin, but over time that changed. In that time, Hester learned many lessons from that very letter. She has learned to persevere through even the hardest times and to stay strong. She learned to forgive others more easily and be humble in her work. Hester also learned the lesson of kindness and how your words can really impact others. People, in the end, said the letter stood for angel, and it had turned into a sign of Hester's strength and fortitude.
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Meredith Collins
7/18/2018 02:44:30 pm
I agree that "Be True!" is the most important theme, but I don't agree that she needed to be true to her husband because that could have been worse. Instead, I think she should have been true to herself in the beginning because she clearly didn't love him and he was clearly crazy. If she had stayed true to him, who know what could have happened to her.
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Abigail O'Connell
7/26/2018 12:55:41 pm
Dimmesdale certainly could have saved himself from many struggles if he would have just started with the truth.
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Malea Marchioni
7/18/2018 11:09:03 am
1. I do think the meaning of the scarlet letter did change throughout the story, especially for Hester Prynne. I think she learned how to stand up for herself, protect her family, loyalty, sacrifice, and to not always believe you are what society tells you you are. Your sin does not define you and it can be forgiven. She shows these things by continuing to live her life despite the hardships thrown at her from society, as well as protecting the reputation of Pearl, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth.
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Meredith Collins
7/18/2018 02:40:06 pm
1) The scarlet letter taught Hester alot. One of those things was to turn the other cheek. She could have fought everyone who ridiculed her, but instead she decided to take the hate because she knew what she did was wrong. She also learned that everyone sins, she realized this early on. She could tell there was hidden sin when she looked into other's eyes.
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Jacob Roberts
7/22/2018 03:27:47 pm
1. The scarlet letter, along with her child, taught Hester valuable lessons. The letter, a punishment and a mark of shame, taught her not only her about her wrongdoing but also strengthened her as others judged her. Later, as she strived to do good in her community, others saw the letter in a different light.
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James Frazier
7/23/2018 11:06:21 am
1) The letter is originally a way of teaching Hester of repentance and showing shame for what she's done. It then becomes a means of teaching her daughter from her mistakes.
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ellie gillam
7/23/2018 12:59:49 pm
The letter did more than just remind her of her mistakes, once she got past the embarrassment of the letter being a punishment she actually learned from it.
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Jesse Kearns
7/25/2018 12:15:09 pm
I agree with Ellie's point that not only did it serve as a means for Hester to protect her daughter from the same mistake, but it also taught her several valuable lessons and strengthened her for further ordeals.
Ellie Gillam
7/23/2018 12:50:03 pm
1. Hester's scarlet A teaches her to be proud of who she is and live her life as if no one were watching. The parallel between Hester and Dimmesdale is beautiful because he lives his life in the background hiding who he really is, but Hester expresses who she is to the world. At fist by force because of the A on her dress, but then because it became a part of who she is.
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Avery King
7/27/2018 07:08:42 am
I disagree with your point that the A taught Hester to be proud. She was never proud of what she had done and she should not have been. It was a sin. She should be remorseful and learn to forgive herself, but she should most definitely not be proud of her sin.
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Anne Simmons
7/24/2018 03:23:50 pm
1. Hester, an introvert from society, lives a lonely existence at the beginning of the novel. While she does have inner strength and self-reliance, she uses this to defy the townspeople and laws of the local government further separating her from society. With her acquiring of the Scarlet Letter, she is faced with suffering but in the face of that she manages to transform into a merciful character who lives out her life as a figure of compassion in the community in which they can fall back on. Hester also begins to perform charitable deeds such as comforting the poor, sick, and the downtrodden members of society. Through this revelation, Hester learns about compassion, care, repentance, and love. In turn, the community forgives her for her sins.
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Teal Salloum
7/25/2018 03:19:06 pm
I agree with #2. If Dimmesdale would have just told the truth to begin with he would not have become overcome with guilt and would have been a better person for confessing it.
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Jesse Kearns
7/25/2018 12:12:03 pm
1) The Scarlet Letter taught several valuable lessons to Hester. It strengthened her as well. She grew accustomed to the shame of the Letter and learned to ignore the hatred of others around her. It increased her charity work as well. As she learned to live with the Letter, she began to help others, even though she received little in return.
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Teal Salloum
7/25/2018 03:16:25 pm
1) The scarlet letter was Hester's cross to carry. It taught her how to deal with a tough situation. Not only did she get through the tough times, but she learned numerous valuable lessons from it. I think that it even though it was meant to humiliate her, she ended up becoming a stronger person.
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Mitchell Badurak
7/25/2018 07:21:07 pm
1. The letter changed throughout the story. At the beginning the letter stood for her mistake and her sin. Towards the end it stood for Angel. Towards the end of the story Hester learned to sympathize with others because all the pain they are going through she has gone through much worse.
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Gracie Davenport
7/25/2018 08:37:20 pm
1. The letter A on Hester's chest taught her many things throughout the entire story. It taught Hester to be strong. The A was meant to be a label and humiliate her daily, but over time it did not bother Hester as much and she became more humble. She knew others saw her differently but she did not let that stop her from living life with her daughter Pearl.
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Hallie Ladner
7/30/2018 03:16:15 pm
I completely agree with Gracie's response. The scarlet letter worn by Hester made her a stronger person and made her not care what others thought. Although it was humiliating at times, she was able to get through it and she came out of it even stronger and better.
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Abigail O'Connell
7/26/2018 12:48:36 pm
1. Both Hester and the meaning of the scarlet A change many times throughout the story. The scarlet A may have stood for Hester's sin, but she never allowed it to define her as a person. By Hester committing adultery she learned to be more sympathetic and understanding of others. She soon became known to be a caregiver for anyone in need.
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Lauren Dossett
7/27/2018 09:13:44 pm
1. I believe that Hester learned the lesson to confess rather than hide and be overflowing with guilt. The letter, which caused constant stares, taught her not to care so much about what other people think because no one ever knows the whole story.
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Micah Webb
7/30/2018 11:32:05 pm
I agree that the main lesson of the story is that it is much easier to confess than to be guilty. Dimmesdale was so consumed by his secret that yes, he did die right after. The story teaches us that even though we may be guilty for what we have done in the past, it is better to not live in regret of rejecting the truth.
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Gabriela Patino
7/28/2018 08:42:35 am
1. For Hester, the Scarlet Letter became a constant reminder of the sin she committed. The Letter also attracted much unwanted attention for Hester and it usually followed my rude stares and hurtful words, but Hester never let this get to her. The letter in a way changed he into a better person because she was able to grow from her mistakes. She even became a much looked up to woman at the end of the story, and many woman came to her for advice.
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Lauren Johnson
7/28/2018 12:03:05 pm
1. Hester learns not to let shame or one mistake define who you are. Thoughout her experience with the scarlett letter, she never allows its connotation or stigma to stop her from living a charitable and wholesome life. The letter may have brought public mockery upon Hester ,but she continued to live and heal as though it had no effect on her life. She formed her own business, raised Pearl, aided with charity, and resolved not only her own issue of adultery but also Dimmesdale's guilt and Roger's rage.
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Carmen DeStazio
7/28/2018 03:22:11 pm
The letter taught her how to stand her ground. It taught her how to hold her head up high when she was being taunted and to stay strong through all the hate. It showed her that she is who she is no matter what labels society gives you or forces you to wear. She learned how to give kindness, whether it was given in return or not. She was able to learn how to grow and overcome her past. She could face her problems and face reality, not hide from it. She was also able to take what she learned and share it with Dimmesdale and help him face his problems as well. She was finally able to feel real love for someone-Pearl. It was fake love she was forced to believe she had for someone she had to marry.
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Hallie Ladner
7/30/2018 03:13:43 pm
1. I think Hester became a stronger individual due to the scarlet letter. Her having to go through all that helped her be able to get through difficult situations that most people would really struggle with. I think her positive attitude and ability to get through such a hard time really reflected onto the people and made them realize that just because she made a mistake does not mean that she is weak or not a good person and she really showed the people that.
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Alaina Olsen
7/31/2018 02:30:19 pm
1. I agree totally, she really showed the town that her sin was not her identity. She didn't need to prove herself, but she did it and she did it well whilst suffering.
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Micah Webb
7/30/2018 11:27:10 pm
1. Hester viewed the letter as a reminder of her sin and the shame that came from it. As the years went on, it reminded her of the battles she went through because of the letter. In Hester's eyes, it was a symbol of strength and her journey to happiness. She knew what it was like to not be helped, to be alone. The letter forced her to be an outcast, yet she turned it into the driving force behind her charity work. Hester also learned to love, but not just her daughter. She learned to love those who have forsaken her and those who constantly treat her with disrespect. Overall, it was a symbol of her growth as a person over the years.
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Beyla Bleichner
7/31/2018 07:46:38 pm
1. I agree that the letter became a symbol of growth. Hester grew in so many different ways. She grew in spirituality, strength, and hope.
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Ben Hartery
7/31/2018 12:07:55 pm
I feel like the letter is sign of strength throughout this book. Although it brought hester many problems I feel like it made her a better person throughout all of her hardships.
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Ben Hartery
7/31/2018 12:09:59 pm
2. Truth should easily be the theme of this novel. All of the troubles the characters would have been easier or maybe wouldn't have even happened if everyone gave the true story from the start instead of living lives of secrecy.
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8/1/2018 11:16:56 am
Exactly, everything can be fixed by telling the truth
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Misty Wilson
7/31/2018 01:15:07 pm
I don't believe the letter took away her happiness. She never allowed it to affect her. I believe her colorful spirit left her after she committed adultery. The return of her spirit shows the theme of self-acceptance and forgiveness. Despite what she had done, she accepted her flaws and found happiness and healing in Pearl.
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Alaina Olsen
7/31/2018 02:21:48 pm
1. I think after all of it, Hester's scarlet letter revealed her strength. It started as a symbol of shame, but very quickly, it became a badge of honor. She was seen as a sinner, but as the town slowly learned who she was as this new person. A sin is a sin, but it is how you repent that gives it negative or positive meaning. The scarlet letter ended up having a positive meaning in the end because she learned who she was and how to embrace that.
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Emily Miller
7/31/2018 04:19:21 pm
I disagree that it ended up being a positive meaning, I perceived it to be a very solemn meaning because in the ending it mentioned it was a remembrance to the painful events that occurred.
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Makenzie Stenum
7/31/2018 04:03:33 pm
1. I believe the scarlet letter has taught Hester how to deal with a tough situation and become a stronger person from it. The community began to respect her for gaining independence and being strong when carrying the burden alone.
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Emily Miller
7/31/2018 04:16:27 pm
1. The Scarlet Letter symbolizes many things throughout the story. It at first represented the sin that Hester Prynne had committed although as the story progressed it became more meaningful. At one point in the story Hester actually states that it represents shame, pain, and solitude. Yet at the end of the story, the meaning became less of a stigma and more of a sad remembrance of the guilt and pain it had caused.
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Tyler
7/31/2018 07:21:58 pm
1) Hester learnt to be the bigger person and to have thick skin and take all the abuse people threw at her in stride.
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Beyla Bleichner
7/31/2018 07:44:16 pm
1. Hester has learned the consequences of her actions and how to always stick with your mistakes. There will always be people trying to pull you down, but you have to show confidence and take in stride.
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8/1/2018 11:16:15 am
1. Hester has learned many lessons throughout the story she has learned how to stay strong even in the worst possible conditions and to embrace who she is and try to repair what she has done.
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