The Scarlet Letter

Introduction

READING CHECK

1. What retired military officer worked with Nathaniel Hawthorne at the Custom House and stared into space frequently?

Answer: The Collector

2. What item does Hawthorne find in the Custom House along with papers naming Hester Prynne?

Answer: red fabric in the shape of the letter A

3. From what profession does Hawthorne say he was taking a break when he became Custom House overseer in 1846?

Answer: writing

QUIZ

1. Which of these represents the clearest connection between the author’s introductory information in “The Custom House” and the actual story of The Scarlet Letter?

A) The presence of a young, ethereal girl

B) The first-person viewpoint

C) The shared location of Salem

D) The narrator’s distractibility and shame

2. Which of these best describes Hawthorne’s tone when discussing his co-workers at the Custom House?

A) Good-humored

B) Bitter

C) Appreciative

D) Furious

3. What part of his family history in Salem shames Hawthorne?

4. Inspired with a story idea, Hawthorne could not write it for what reason?

QUIZ ANSWERS

1, C. Salem, Massachusetts is the setting of The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne writes in “The Custom House” introduction that he served as overseer in the Salem Custom House starting in 1846.

2. A. While the overall mood of his experience with employment in the Custom House is somewhat frustrating and anxious, Hawthorne’s tone toward his co-workers is generally good-humored.