ANNOTATION GUIDE:
The Scarlet Letter
English 10 Honors
ThefollowingaresuggestionsoftypesofannotationsyoucanmakeasyouannotateTheScarlet
Letter
foryourEnglish10Honorsclassnextyear.Youmaynothaveoneofeverytypeof
annotation,butyoushouldincludeavarietyofdifferenttypes.
● Figurativelanguage,especiallymetaphors,similes,hyperbolesandpersonification
● Referencestothehistoricalcontextofthenovelandthepracticesofindividualsinthetownasa
result,thisincludesPuritanismanditsinfluence
● Thesymbolicimportanceofplaces:theforest,thetown/marketplace,theprison,thescaffold
● Lightanddarkimagery
● NatureImagery
● ThewayHawthornecreatescharacterization
● Examplesofcharacterfoils
● Narrationandchangesinnarrationincludinginstancesofexpositioninterruptingtheplotofthe
story(howandwhyisitincludedwhereitis?)
● Theroleofministersandtownleaders
● Women’sroles
● Men’sroles
● ThewaytheJusticesystemworksinthetown
● Instancesofthesupernatural
● Sinanditseffectsonindividuals
● Innerversusouterturmoil
● Theeffectsofrevengeandthedesireforrevenge
● ThesymbolicmeaningoftheletterA
● Hester’sappearanceandattitudeandthewayitcontrastswiththerestofthetown
● Pearl’sappearanceandattitudeandthewayitcontrastswiththerestofthetown
● ThesignificanceofColors
● Meaningsofchaptertitles,placenamesandsymbolicnamesofcharacters
● Changesintoneand/orwritingstyle
● Changesinmood
● Identifyrepetitivephrases
● Questionsaboutconfusingpartsofthenovel
● Identifyrecurringthemes
● Identifycharactermotivation