The Scarlet Letter Discussion Questions
Leader—Boyd Haskell
Chapter 7
1. What is the public belief about Pearl in the beginning of this chapter?
2. Why does Hester dress Pearl so extravagantly?
3. What is Hawthorne’s purpose for alienating Pearl from everyone in the story?
4. On the way to Governor Bellingham’s mansion, Hester and Pearl encounter children of the
puritans. Based on what happens next, what do Pearl and the children symbolize?
5. What does Governor Bellingham’s mansion and the contents therein symbolize?
6. What theme does Governor Bellingham represent?
7. Why is the garden dying and how can it be attributed to Hester?
8. What is the importance of Pearl wanting a rose at the end of the chapter?
9. What similarities join Pearl and the scarlet letter?
10. What is the connection between this chapter and the first chapter?