A preliminary suggestion is to have students skip "The Custom House," even though it is subtitled "An Introductory to The Scarlet Letter," and proceed directly to reading the novel itself. The suggestions offered here are designed to optimize the student's enjoyment of the novel. High school readers who enjoy some aspect of The Scarlet Letter may return to it later in life and discover deeper meanings for themselves. Nurturing an interest in the parts of the novel which appeal to students and not dwelling on aspects beyond their comprehension or concern can enhance the reader's relationship with the novel. The third section provides ideas for extending students' learning to include current events, literary criticism, and other literary works.īecause reading The Scarlet Letter can be difficult for many high school readers, it is important that teachers not expect all students to respond to the novel as literary scholars. # means appropriate for all level means appropriate for academic students + means appropriate for nonacademic students * means appropriate for all level students They are also keyed to indicate the ability levels of students for whom they are appropriate.
The activities are presented according to effective times to introduce them – either before, during, or after reading the novel. The second section contains suggestions for teaching The Scarlet Letter. This information is provided as a review for the teacher, to aid in answering questions students may ask, and to assist in directing interested students toward further research. The first section offers an overview of the novel which includes a synopsis of the plot, a commentary on the novel, an introduction to Hawthorne's life, a description of the literary scene during Hawthorne's time, and some historical commentary about Puritan New England. This guide is divided into three sections. The approach incorporates reading, writing, speaking, listening, and creative thinking as they relate to the literary work. They frequently focus primarily upon the individual reader's experience while reading the work and the sharing of these experiences with other readers. Many of the activities suggested in this teacher's guide are inductive. Rather than treating The Scarlet Letter as an artifact we must study as a cultural obligation, this approach emphasizes the significance this classic literary work holds for the lives of its readers.
This teacher's guide presents a teaching approach to The Scarlet Letter that encourages student involvement. Hester Prynne's plight can arouse sympathy, Arthur Dimmesdale's hypocrisy can provoke anger, and Roger Chillingworth's evil revenge can elicit disgust among today's high school readers. Viewed in this light, the novel can be approached as the story of a woman who let her heart rule her head and suffered the consequences. The themes of alienation and breaking society's rules are ones to which many teenagers can readily relate. Although written almost 150 years ago, Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter contains concepts and insights relevant to contemporary readers.
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