Ch 21- End Questions

1. Why does Hawthorne spend so much time describing the Election Day festivities/procession in Ch 21 and 22? (Think about the common themes in American lit!)

2. Connected to number one: What might Hester, the Native Americans and the sailors symbolize in this description of the day?

3. In Ch. 23, what is Dimmesdale’s Election Day speech about? What does Hester think it is about? What do the townspeople think it is about? How does it relate to our theory from last class?

Ch 21- End Questions

1. Does Dimmesdale’s confession begin the new world order against the Puritan severity? What purpose does his confession hold and does it actually change anything in the Puritan world?

2. What are the changes that have taken place in Puritan society? Be sure to talk about Chillingsworth, Pearl, and Hester.

3. What is the symbolic meaning of Hester and Dimmesdale’s headstones and epitaph? Take a look at the last page of the novel and explain what you think Hawthorne’s final message to the reader is.