The Scarlet Letter Symbol Project

You will have to have read the first chapters of The Scarlet Letter to do this project. People choose to wear symbols all the time to express who they think they are: hair, clothes, jewelry, baseball caps, etc. We all know that Hester was forced to wear an “A” and that Dimmsdale had an “A” of his own as a symbol of their sins, but what if the characters themselves had a say in what “symbol” they had to wear?

For this project, you will imagine one of the characters was allowed to choose the symbol or letter they were to wear to represent themselves and their actions. What would that character have chosen for himself or herself? Why would that be his or her choice? How does the character feel about himself or herself? What leads you to believe this? What does the symbol represent? These are all questions you will be addressing in the steps that follow.

The project has three elements:

1) Think of the characters in the book. If they could choose a letter or symbol to wear that represents them, what would they choose?

 You will choose one character from the book and determine what letter or symbol that person would choose to represent himself or herself and his or her actions (you CANNOT use the “A” for adultery). The symbol MUST be described in detail (An “A” does not suffice: what colors? Textures? Size? Etc.)

 You will address the reasons why they would have chosen that symbol (see the questions above) and support your conclusions with facts from the novel.

 You will also explain why the symbol looks the way it does (for example, why does Hester embroider the “A” with gold thread?). Your explanation should be well organized and in paragraph format.

Extra Credit: You will create the elaborate letter or symbol that the person would have to wear. This visual should reflect your best effort and creativity, and should reflect the reasons for its choosing (for example, the gold threads in Hester’s “A” are thought to show the great price she paid for her sin).

Project Objectives: - You will make inferences about a literary character’s motivations using evidence from the text and prior knowledge. - You will read and analyze the text to find evidence for your conclusions. - You will examine the themes of guilt & innocence, alienation and loneliness, and revenge. - You will prepare a thorough analysis of your subject's situation and present your findings in clear writing.

Your project will be graded as follows: REQUIRED Written Explanation (60pts) Character is explained ___ Explains who the character is ___ Explains what the character thinks of himself/herself ___ Examples from the text are given to support the characterization Picks an appropriate symbol for the character ___ At least TWO reasons for the symbol are given ___ Reasons are supported with specific examples from the text. ___ Examples are explained to show why the character would choose the symbol Symbol is explained ___ Explains what the symbol looks like ___ Explains why the symbol looks the way it does ___ Explains why the symbol is appropriate

EXTRA CREDIT Visual (40 pts) ___ Creation is original (hand made/drawn; NOT a mere printout) and can be worn ___ Demonstrates effort (neatness) and creativity ___ Symbol reflects reasons for its choosing