Read this excerpt from chapter 1 of The Scarlet Letter . The founders of a new colony, whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison. What part of the plot does this excerpt reveal?
Answer
A
It is part of the rising action that reveals criminal activity.
B
It is part of the rising action that reveals the Puritan work ethic.
C
It is part of the exposition that describes the importance of the Puritan prison.
D
It is part of the exposition that describes the happiness of the Puritan settlers.
Explanation
This passage appears at the beginning of the novel and introduces a feature of the colony’s setting, so it is part of the exposition. It explains that the founders considered a prison one of the colony’s earliest necessities, making C, the exposition describing the importance of the Puritan prison, the best choice. It does not reveal a specific crime or describe the settlers’ happiness.
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