Character Traits Analysis in "The Scarlet Letter
The character traits of Hester, Pearl, Roger Chillingworth, and Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale from Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel "The Scarlet Letter" are explored through adjectives and quotes. Each character exhibits a unique blend of qualities such as beauty, independence, vengefulness, and guilt, shaping their actions and interactions within the narrative.
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The Scarlet Letter Character Traits
Task #1: Choose three adjectives that best describe your character
Hester Beautiful Young Independent Strong Dignified Nurturing Skilled Desperate Lonely Fearful Tortured Secretive
Pearl Passionate Imaginative Violent Sadistic Destructive Evil-spirited Aggressive Troublesome Unloving Defiant Cold Stubborn Insensitive Disobedient
Roger Chillingworth Intelligent Perceptive Clever Skillful Well-read Persistent Vengeful Malicious Disfigured Sneaky/Mischievous Leech Treacherous
Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale Young Respected Caring Sick Stressed Restless Guilty Weak
Task #2: Find three quotes from the novel to illustrate those qualities Write the quote and page number on chart
If you need help, try Hester pgs. 55; 86-87 Pearl pgs. 92-97; 102 Roger Chillingworth pgs. 62-63; 76-77; 80; 115; 124 Rev. Dimmesdale pgs. 68-69; 71; 112; 117; 123-125
Task #3: Share quotes with your group members.
Hester she to give of her little substance to every demand of poverty (p. 167) None so self-devoted as Hester (p. 167) Hester s nature showed itself warm and rich; a well- spring of human tenderness (p. 167) She was self-ordained a Sister of Mercy (p. 167) It is our Hester,--the town s own Hester, who is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comfortable to the afflicted! (p. 169)
Hester the attractiveness of her person had undergone a similar change a sad transformation too...her rich and luxuriant hair had either been cut off, or was so completely hidden by a cap (p. 169-170) there seemed to be no longer anything in Hester s face for Love to dwell upon nothing that Passion would ever dream of clasping in its embrace (p. 170) Standing alone in the world (p. 170)
Pearl What, in Heaven s name, is she? Is the imp altogether evil? Hath she afffections? (p. 138) Whether capable of good, I know not. (p. 139) The child looking up to the window, with a bright, but naughty smile of mirth and intelligence, she threw one of the prickly burrs at the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. (p. 139) Detecting his emotion, Pearl clapped her little hands in the most extravagant ecstacy. (p. 139) There was witchcraft in little Pearl s eyes, and her face wore that naughty smile which made its expression frequently so elfish. (p. 160)
Pearl picked up her apron full of pebbles pelting them one little gray bird with a broken wing (p. 185) But then the elf-child sighed, and gave up her sport; because it grieved her to have done harm to a little being that was as wild as the sea-breeze, or as wild as Pearl herself. (p. 185) parkled, and prattled airily along her course. (p. 195)
Pearl Pearl s nature had not the disease of sadness (p. 192) Pearl resembled the brook, inasmuch as the current of her life gushed from a well-spring as mysterious, and had flowed through scenes shadowed as heavily with gloom. But unlike the little stream, she danced and sparkled, and prattled airily along her course. (p. 195)
Roger Chillingworth had been calm in temperament, kindly a pure and upright man but as he proceeded, a terrible fascination, a kind of fierce, though still calm, necessity seized the old man within its gripe (p. 133) He now dug into the poor clergyman s heart, like a miner searching for gold (p. 133) Sometimes a light glimmered out of the physician s eyes, burning blue and ominous, like the reflection of a furnace, or, let us say, like one of those gleams of ghastly fire (p. 133-134) yonder old Black Man will catch you! He hath got hold of the minister already. (p. 139)
Roger Chillingworth quiet depth of malice which led him to imagine a more intimate revenge than any mortal had ever wreaked upon an enemy. (p. 144) was not careful then to hide the malevolence with which he looked upon the victim (p. 162) the former aspect of an intellectual and studious man, calm and quiet, which had altogether vanished, and been succeeded by an eager, searching, almost fierce, yet carefully guarded look (p. 176) a glare of red light out of his eyes; as if the old man s soul were on fire (p. 177) old Roger Chillingworth evidence of a man s faculty of transforming himself into a devil (p. 177)
Rev. Dimmesdale him suspicious of all mankind. Trusting no man as his friend (p. 135) The sensitive clergyman shrunk, with nervous dread, from the light missile (p. 139) a bodily disease be but a symptom of some ailment in the spiritual part. (p. 141) emaciated and white-cheeked minister a sickness in your spirit (p. 141) all that guilty sorrow, hidden from the world (p. 144) achieved a brilliant popularity in his sacred office (p. 146) His fame on its upward slope (p. 146)
Rev. Dimmesdale They deemed the young clergyman a miracle of holiness. (p. 148) the agony with which this public veneration tortured him! (p. 148) He longed to speak out and tell the people what he was. (pg. 148) I am utterly a pollution and a lie (p. 149) The saint on earth! (p. 149) he loathed his miserable self! (p. 150) constant introspection (p. 150)
Rev. Dimmesdale He had been driven hither by the impulse of that Remorse which dogged him everywhere, and whose own sister and closely linked companion was that Cowardice (p. 153) the young virgins who so idolized their minister (p. 157) erudite clergyman (p. 162) His nerve seemed absolutely destroyed his moral force childish weakness (p. 165)
Rev. Dimmesdale the intense misery beneath which the minister struggled (p. 173) He looked haggard and feeble nerveless despondency (p. 196) listlessness in his gait; as if he saw no reason for taking one step farther (p. 196) To Hester s eye, the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale exhibited no symptom of positive and vivacious suffering, except that he kept his hand over his heart. (p. 196)
Simile/Metaphor they go about among their fellow-creatures, looking pure as new-fallen snow (pg. 137) He now dug into the poor clergyman s heart, like a miner searching for gold. (p. 133) Sometimes a light glimmered out of the physician s eyes, burning blue and ominous, like the reflection of a furnace (p. 133-134) The soil where this dark miner was working had perchance shown indications that encouraged him. (p. 134)
Simile/Metaphor He groped along as stealthily, with as cautious a tread, and as wary an outlook, as a thief entering a chamber where a man lies only half asleep (p. 134) with purpose to steal the very treasure which this man guards as the apple of his eye. (p. 134) Pearl looked as beautiful as the day (p. 138) one of those persons whose sleep, ordinarily, is as light, as fitful, and as easily scared away, as a small bird hopping on a twig. (p. 143) He looked like a ghost (p. 154)
Simile/Metaphor those meteors illuminated the dense medium of cloud betwixt the sky and earth. The great vault brightened, like the dome of an immense lamp (p. 159) a terrible machinery had been brought to bear, and was still operating, on Mr. Dimmesdale s well-being and repose (p. 165) the child flew away like a bird (p. 175) once so wild, and even yet neither dead nor asleep, but only imprisoned within the same tomblike heart? (p. 188)
