The Scarlet Letter
English 10 Honors Book Marking Guide

Mrs. Rhonda Webb
Mrs. Jennifer Sproul

The preferred edition ISBN 1-59308-207-X, Barnes & Noble Classics, offers supplementary readings, before and after the novel, which the student must close read to assist the student then to close read the novel itself.

Some things you must mark:

CHARACTERS:
Hester              Chillingworth                Dimmesdale                  Pearl                Others

Highlight text and write margin notes:
Significant actions to your characters
Insights into personality
Interaction with others

SYMBOLS:
Letter “A”                                                                 Night/Day, Moon/Sun, Darkness/Light
Vegetation: flowers, seaweed, trees, forest    Colors- black, red, gold, green
Reflections: brook, water, mirrors                     Roses
Windows/ Doors/ Thresholds                            Meteor
Hester’s clothing/ Pearl’s clothing                    Scaffold
Pearl’s name                                                        Indians

Highlight text and write margin notes:
How symbols are woven into the texture
Significant meaning
How symbol is connected to characters
Other conclusions or observations

THEMES:

Breaking society’s rules
Suffering, punishment and redemption
Isolation and alienation from society
Intolerance and non-forgiveness
Effects of sin
Effects of guilt
Appearance vs. reality
Obsession for revenge
Passages- “Words of Wisdom”- quote where author directly states themes

Highlight text and write margin notes:
How themes are demonstrated by actions of characters
How symbols underscore theme
What aspect of setting demonstrates theme (How & Why)
How this point of view allows the reader to see this as a theme

OTHER LITERARY ELEMENTS:
Mood
Setting: historical background & significance
Irony
Language (example: imagery, diction, allusion: historical, literary, Biblical)
Plot- foreshadowing (no summary required)
Allusion
Tone

TECHNIQUES TO USE WHEN MARKING YOUR BOOK FOR CLOSE READING

1. Highlight or underline with separate colors significant passages revealing characters, symbols, themes, and other literary elements. Write with ink in margin literary analysis of passages highlighted. Also include a color code key inside front cover.
2. Mark series of words that work together to develop an image, motif, or other literary elements.  Write a key word in margin of page.  Note: when you flip through the book, you can easily spot the significant ideas.
3. Star (*) those ideas which are of utmost importance
4. Find and identify explicit and implied references to the themes of the book.
5. Cross reference in the cover when you identify recurring ideas, motifs or features
   • EXAMPLE- Secret sin: see p. 6, 9, 12, 104, etc.
6. Circle unfamiliar vocabulary words and define them in the bottom margin of the page for further class activities.
7. Start lists and page numbers on the front and back empty pages.

• Significant character’s names and page numbers of key phrases or quotes
• Symbols, themes and figurative language such as similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, oxymorons and irony with their page numbers

Word document: English 10 Honors.doc

PDF Format: English 10 Honors.pdf