The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter
A-Z

By: Jacob Robinson

A

Adultery: In New England the Puritan church ruled over society and
even the government. To break a law of the church was to break a law
in society. The main character Hester Prynne committed adultery,
and was made to wear the scarlet letter on her clothes for the rest of
her life.

B

Bosom: Hester Prynne was sentenced to wear the scarlet letter on
bosom as her punishment for her act of adultery.

C

Christ: The Puritans not only ruled the church they ruled the
government. With a society church based, an act against the church
was seen as a crime.

D

Dimmesdale: Arthur Dimmesdale was the priest in the town and seen
as the one that could do no wrong. Ironic seeing he is the father of
Pearl.

E

Eager: In the story Pearl was eager to learn who her father was, and
why he mother was to wear the scarlet letter on her bosom.

F

Forgotten: Hester had came to the new world expecting her husband
to follow. What she didn’t know is he was captured by the indians.
Hester having relations with Dimmesdale makes it seem she has
forgotten her husband.

G

Girl: After Hester left the prison with the child and we watched it
grow up, we found out it was a girl named Pearl.

H

Hester: She was the main character in the scarlet letter. She was the
woman who commited the crime of adultery, and the mother of Pearl.

I

Instinct: Before Pearl was told that Dimmesdale was her father, it
was as if she knew. Daughters instinct told her who her father was
even without being told.

J

Jail: The place where Hester was sent before her time on the scaffold.
Also where she gave birth to her daughter Pearl.

K

Karma: Some thought that with Pearls bad behavior, it was sort of
Hester's karma and punishment for her sin.

L

Lust: In Puritan religion, acting on lust is a crime against the church
that in some instances is punishable by death.

M

Mother: Although Pearl was born out of sin, Hester is seen in the
book as a great and very caring mother to Pearl.

N

Naughty: Throughout the book Pearl is referred to as the elf child,
and very naughty and disobedient.

O

Obvious: To some it is obvious and zero question who the father of
Pearl is in the book.

P

Pearl: The name of the daughter of Hester and Dimmesdale, Pearl
was born through sin and cast out by the whole town.

Q

Quarrel: Throughout the book Chillingworth's friendship with
Dimmesdale became strained due history of Hester and Dimmesdale.

R

Reverend: Dimmesdale was the priest in the town and very well
thought of for his work in the church.

S

Scaffold: This is where Hester faced her punishment of public
humiliation after leaving the jail with Pearl.

T

Tricky: Although Hester loves Pearl very dearly, she becomes known
as a very tricky child to raise through her life.

U

Unofficial: Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale meet in the forest in secret
and gather their own little unofficial family.

V

Vacant: After the public death of Dimmesdale Hester and Pearl leave
the town and leave their little cottage vacant.

W

Wild Child: Pearl is known to be wild and reckless and very much of a
free spirit by nature throughout the book.

X

eX: Hesters eX in the story is bitter with Dimmesdale and decides to
slowly eat away at him and fill him with even more guilt.

Y

Youthful: Pearl is the first one to see through the lie and find out who
her true father was. Some might forget how young and youthful she is
while finding out the deepness of it.

Z

BuZz: Whether it being the question of Pearls true father, or the
question of Hester's custody of Pearl, the town loves the buzz and
drama of it all.