The Scarlet Letter, Part 2

Question 10 • (J. Blaum) 0231 10th Grade English 1st 9 Weeks 26-27

Which of the following quotations supports the analysis of Hester Prynne as a courageous character?

Answer

“On the threshold of the prison-door, she repelled him, by an action marked with natural dignity and force of character, and stepped into the open air, as if by her own free-will.”

“When the young woman – the mother of this child – stood fully revealed before the crowd, it seemed to be her first impulse to clasp the infant closely to her bosom.”

“They were stern enough to look upon her death, had that been the sentence, without a murmur at its severity, but had none of the heartlessness of another social state, which would find only a theme for jest in an exhibition like the present.”

Explanation

Choice A describes Hester resisting the jailer with “natural dignity and force of character” and stepping outside as if by her own free will. Her firm, self-possessed response in a frightening public moment supports the idea that she is courageous. Choice B focuses on her instinct to protect her child, while choice C describes the crowd’s attitude rather than Hester’s courage.

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Lesson Five: Choosing Vocabulary

Instruction

The Scarlet Letter, Part 2