VII. The Governor's Hall Practice Quiz — The Scarlet Letter
by Nathaniel Hawthorne — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: VII. The Governor's Hall
What is Hester's stated reason for visiting Governor Bellingham?
She is delivering a pair of embroidered gloves she made to his order, to be worn on a great occasion of state.
What is Hester's real reason for visiting the Governor?
She has heard that leading citizens, including the Governor, plan to take Pearl away from her.
What two arguments do the Puritans use to justify removing Pearl from Hester?
If Pearl is of demon origin, removing her protects Hester's soul; if Pearl is capable of salvation, she would benefit from better guardianship.
What historical dispute does Hawthorne compare to the debate over Pearl's custody?
A colonial dispute over property rights in a pig, which caused a bitter legislative contest and changed the framework of the legislature.
How does Pearl respond when Puritan children threaten to fling mud at her and Hester?
She charges at the group, screaming and shouting, scattering them all in terror.
What simile does Hawthorne use to describe Pearl chasing the Puritan children?
He compares her to "an infant pestilence--the scarlet fever, or some such half-fledged angel of judgment."
What is Pearl wearing in this chapter?
A crimson velvet tunic abundantly embroidered with fantasies and flourishes of gold thread.
Why does Hawthorne call Pearl "the scarlet letter endowed with life"?
Pearl's crimson and gold dress mirrors the scarlet letter on Hester's bosom, making her a living embodiment of her mother's sin and passion.
What material is embedded in the stucco walls of the Governor's mansion?
Fragments of broken glass, which glitter and sparkle in the sunlight as if diamonds had been flung against the walls.
What does Pearl say when she sees her mother's reflection in the armor?
She cries "Mother, I see you here. Look! Look!"
How does the convex breastplate distort Hester's reflection?
The scarlet letter is magnified to exaggerated and gigantic proportions, becoming the most prominent feature of her appearance.
What does the distorted reflection in the armor symbolize?
It represents how the Puritan community reduces Hester's entire identity to her sin, seeing only the scarlet letter rather than the person behind it.
Who answers the door at the Governor's mansion?
A bond-servant--a free-born Englishman serving a seven-year term as a slave, wearing the customary blue coat of serving-men.
Who does the bond-servant say is visiting the Governor?
A godly minister or two and a leech (a doctor).
What Elizabethan-era items furnish the Governor's hall?
Ponderous carved oaken chairs, a matching table, and a large pewter tankard with the remnant of a recent draught of ale.
What hangs on the walls of the Governor's hall?
Ancestral portraits of the Bellingham lineage, some wearing armor and others in stately ruffs and robes of peace.
In what war had Governor Bellingham worn the suit of armor?
The Pequod (Pequot) war, where he led a regiment despite being bred as a lawyer.
What does Pearl demand when she sees the Governor's garden from the bow-window?
She cries for a red rose and cannot be pacified.
What does Hester tell Pearl about sunshine?
"Thou must gather thine own sunshine. I have none to give thee."
What grows in the Governor's garden instead of ornamental English plants?
Cabbages in plain sight and a sprawling pumpkin vine, along with a few rose-bushes and apple trees.
What contrast does the Governor's garden represent?
The tension between Old World aristocratic aspirations and New World practicality--the Governor wanted an English ornamental garden but the hard New England soil yields only vegetables.
What is ironic about the armor displayed in the Governor's hall?
Armor on a soldier's breast signifies honor and bravery, while the scarlet letter on Hester's breast signifies shame--both are displayed prominently but carry opposite meanings.
What does the word "leech" mean in the context of this chapter?
A physician or doctor. The term was commonly used in the seventeenth century.
What is a "cuirass" as mentioned in the description of the armor?
A piece of armor consisting of a breastplate and backplate fastened together, protecting the torso.
How does this chapter foreshadow the events of Chapter VIII?
It ends with voices approaching through the garden and Pearl's demand for a red rose, setting up the confrontation between Hester and the authorities over Pearl's custody.