XXIV. The Conclusion Practice Quiz — The Scarlet Letter
by Nathaniel Hawthorne — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: XXIV. The Conclusion
What do most spectators claim to have seen on Dimmesdale's chest?
A scarlet letter imprinted in his flesh, resembling the one worn by Hester Prynne.
What are the three explanations given for the mark on Dimmesdale's breast?
Self-inflicted penance, Chillingworth's magic and poisonous drugs, or the outward manifestation of inner remorse.
What do some witnesses deny seeing on Dimmesdale?
Certain "highly respectable witnesses" claim there was no mark on his breast at all and that his death was a saintly parable.
What happens to Chillingworth after Dimmesdale's death?
He rapidly withers and shrivels away, dying within the year, having lost his driving purpose of revenge.
What does Chillingworth bequeath to Pearl in his will?
A considerable amount of property in both America and England, making her the richest heiress in the New World.
Who are the executors of Chillingworth's will?
Governor Bellingham and Reverend Mr. Wilson.
What happens to Hester and Pearl after Chillingworth's death?
They disappear from the colony, and for many years only vague reports of them cross the sea.
Why does Hester return to Boston years later?
She returns voluntarily because Boston is where her sin, sorrow, and penitence belong. No magistrate compels her.
Does Hester resume wearing the scarlet letter upon her return?
Yes, she takes it up again of her own free will, and it never afterwards quits her bosom.
How does the meaning of the scarlet letter change over time?
It transforms from a stigma attracting scorn into something looked upon with sorrow, awe, and reverence.
What role does Hester assume in her later years?
She becomes a counselor to women suffering from wounded passion, grief, and injustice, comforting them from her own experience.
What is the novel's stated moral in Chapter 24?
"Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred!"
What evidence suggests Pearl is alive and happy in Europe?
Letters with armorial seals, luxury items, and baby garments embroidered with golden fancy arrive at Hester's cottage.
What does the narrator speculate about hatred and love?
That they may be the same thing at bottom, since both create profound intimacy and dependency between people.
What is inscribed on the shared tombstone of Hester and Dimmesdale?
"On a field, sable, the letter A, gules" — heraldic language for a red letter A on a black background.
Why is there a space between Hester's and Dimmesdale's graves?
The narrator says it is "as if the dust of the two sleepers had no right to mingle," though they share one tombstone.
What simile does Hawthorne use for Chillingworth's deterioration?
He compares Chillingworth to "an uprooted weed that lies wilting in the sun."
What future prophecy does Hester share with the women she counsels?
That a new truth would be revealed to establish the relation between man and woman on a surer ground of mutual happiness.
Why does Hester believe she cannot be the prophetess of this new truth?
Because the destined prophetess must be lofty, pure, and beautiful — not a woman "stained with sin, bowed down with shame."
What narrative technique does Hawthorne use by presenting conflicting eyewitness accounts?
Deliberate narrative ambiguity, allowing readers to choose among interpretations rather than providing a definitive version.
What manuscript source does the narrator cite as authority for the story?
A manuscript of old date drawn from verbal testimony, plus the papers of Mr. Surveyor Pue who investigated a century later.
What does "gules" mean in heraldic terminology?
Red. The tombstone inscription "the letter A, gules" means a red letter A.
What does "sable" mean in heraldic terminology?
Black. "On a field, sable" describes a black background on the shared tombstone.
How does Pearl's social status change in this chapter?
She goes from being called a "demon offspring" and social outcast to becoming the richest heiress in the New World through Chillingworth's inheritance.