Q 01/05

Who wrote The Scarlet Letter?

A) Edgar Allan Poe

B) Nathaniel Hawthorne

C) Herman Melville

D) Washington Irving

Answer · why

B) Nathaniel Hawthorne

It was published in 1850 and became one of the first mass-produced books in America.

Q 02/05

What does Hester Prynne's scarlet letter 'A' stand for?

A) Apostasy

B) Avarice

C) Adultery

D) Arrogance

Answer · why

C) Adultery

Later in the book many townspeople insist it means something more flattering.

Q 03/05

In which colony is the novel set?

A) Virginia Colony

B) New Amsterdam

C) Plymouth Colony

D) Massachusetts Bay

Answer · why

D) Massachusetts Bay

The action runs from 1642 to 1649 in Puritan Boston.

Q 04/05

What is Hester's daughter described as being, in another form?

A) The scarlet letter itself

B) A witch's child

C) Her father's conscience

D) An angel of mercy

Answer · why

A) The scarlet letter itself

She is 'the scarlet letter endowed in life', a constant reminder of the sin.

Q 05/05

How long must Hester stand on the scaffold at the start of the novel?

A) Three days

B) Three hours

C) A full day

D) One hour

Answer · why

B) Three hours

The scaffold of a former gallows appears three times, marking the book's beginning, middle and end.

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