Download Name: AP The Scarlet Letter, Morality, and Romanticism Test You

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AP
The Scarlet Letter, Morality, and Romanticism Test
You have the class period to write two brief essays. I would plan on spending 5-10 minutes
planning, 10-15 minutes on the first essay, and 25 minutes on the second essay. You may use
your book (The Scarlet Letter) and a list of page numbers of useful quotes, but no notes or
handouts. Use the extra space on this sheet to plan your essay, and then write on a separate
piece of paper.
III.
Literary Critic Roy R. Male wrote that Hawthorne did “fully accept the basic
assumption of Romanticism—a deeply grounded belief in organicism, with its
resultant emphasis upon symbolism, psycho-physical parallels, and the
Unconscious.”1 Do you agree that Hawthorne was a Romanticist, based on your
reading of The Scarlet Letter? Use TWO examples from the novel of elements of
Romantic literature in constructing your answer. You can write your answer in bullet
point form, but please use full sentences (no need for introduction, conclusion, or
transitions). (20 points total—10 points for each of two characteristics)
IV.
Where does Dimmesdale fall on the morality scale? Use at least two examples from
the novel and mention at least one class topic from this term (listed below) in
constructing your answer. You can state one of the arguments an author made or
discuss how your learning about the particular topic affects (or does not affect) your
view of Dimmesdale’s morality. You will want to give an overview of Dimmesdale’s
actions in order to determine his morality, and then make an argument of where he
should fall (1- Satan, 10-Gandhi, 5-“average person”).
• Becoming Moral
• Public Confession/Apology
• Adultery in Puritan times and Today
• Polygamy and Legislating Morality
• Moral Relativism v. Moral Absolutism
(40 points total: Graded holistically and subjectively based on quality of argument,
effective use of examples, inclusion of all required parts, and depth of analysis.
Writing and grammar do not count, since this is an in class essay, but I must be able
to READ your penmanship).
1
Roy R. Male, “Hawthorne and the Concept of Sympathy,” PMLA 68.149 (March 1953). From “Hawthorne and
Romanticism” by Edward M. Holmes, New England Quarterly 33.4 (Dec. 1960), 476-488.