The Scarlet Letter

• Book: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne  — Chapter 10: The Leech and His Patient and Chapter 11: The Interior of a Heart

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Chapter 10

• How does the narrator describe the change in Chillingworth’s investigation in the first paragraph of p. 47? What about the change in Chillingworth himself? What diction and figurative language does Hawthorne use to convey these changes?
• Chillingworth begins, on p. 48, to experiment with torturing Dimmesdale. Track the ways in which he very quietly goes about tormenting the young minister.
• How would you characterize the relationship between Dimmesdale and Chillingworth at this point in the novel? Why?
• What reasons does Dimmesdale provide on pp. 48–49 for why a person might not confess his or her sin publicly?
• What is Chillingworth’s counterargument? With whom do you most agree? Why? With whom do you think Hawthorne agrees? Why?
• How does the narrator describe Pearl on p. 50? What is the young girl doing?
• Why is it ironic that she would place burrs on Hester’s letter?
• What does Pearl say to Hester when she sees the men in the window? What does this statement reveal about the wisdom and intuition of this small child?
• Dimmesdale says of Hester, “methinks it must needs be…..in his heart,” on p. 51. Do you agree or disagree? Is her public shame less of a punishment that the father’s internal guilt?
• To whom is Dimmesdale referring when he says, “Physician of the soul,” on p. 52? What does this reveal about his beliefs?
• What does Chillingworth discover as Dimmesdale sleeps? How does he respond? How does this incident add to our understanding of each of the two men?

Chapter 11

• Track the diction Hawthorne uses to describe Chillingworth in Chapter 11.
• What is Chillingworth’s purpose in regard to Dimmesdale? Why is he expending such energy and time on the minister? What is his goal according to pp. 53–54.
• Who is the narrator referring to as the avenger on pp. 53 and 54? Why?
• How is the reader’s perception of Chillingworth so different from Dimmesdale’s perception? What accounts for this difference? (p. 54)
• To what does the narrator attribute Dimmesdale’s rising popularity amongst the townspeople on pp. 54–55?
• How does this “public veneration” affect Dimmesdale? Why?
• What words does Dimmesdale wish to share with the members of his church? Why? What is stopping him? What is stopping them from believing him when he tries? (p. 56)
• How does Dimmesdale punish himself for his wrongdoings based on pp. 56–57?
• The author has hinted many times at Dimmesdale’s sin. What are we, the reader, meant to infer that it is?
• What does Dimmesdale do at the bottom of p. 57? What do we know? What are we left wondering?