REVISE – The letter A #639545 - Prove ed esercizi Zanichelli

STEP 3 Recognise the symbols

Match each image of light and shadow to its symbolic meaning. Write the correct letters (A-D) in the gaps.

1 The dark prison      ________
2 The black shadow of the beadle      ________
3 The child turning away from the sunshine      ________
4 The shining scarlet letter      ________

A Innocence unaccustomed to scrutiny
B Confinement and exclusion
C The oppressive severity of Puritan laws
D Shame transformed into a sign of personal defiance

Revise

Completamento aperto

STEP 1 Focus on details

Read the introduction and the passage in your textbook, then choose the correct alternative to complete the sentences.

1 When the prison door opens, Hester appears following the town-beadle, who ________.
2 The scarlet letter on Hester's dress ________.
3 Standing on the pillory, Hester appears ________.
4 Hester's memories of her life in England show ________.
5 Hester touches her child and letter to ________.

Revise

Completamento chiuso

STEP 2 Hester's individuality

Based on the passage, read the statements and select the ones that best describe Hester.

A:

Hester accepts her punishment passively and without any resistance.

B:

Hester's time in jail has made her more dignified and composed.

C:

Hester's clothes are more vibrant than those of the rest of the crowd.

D:

Hester transforms a sign of humiliation into a creative and embellished feature.

E:

Hester's memories of her home are dim and distant.

Revise

Scelta multipla

STEP 4 Human experience

Read the statements and select the ones that reflect the insights about human experience in the passage.

A:

Public shame can isolate an individual, but it can also highlight personal strength and resilience.

B:

Memory allows a person to maintain a sense of identity even under social oppression.

C:

Beauty and decorum are irrelevant in the face of public exposure and societal condemnation.

D:

Human dignity is entirely dependent on social approval.

Revise

Scelta multipla

STEP 5 Think further and prepare for your test: Hester's meaning-making

Read the text which explores the real power behind Hester's embroidered scarlet letter. Decide if the statements are true or false. Then look at the prompts below and write some extra reflections in your exercise book. You can use the final text as revision material for your test.

- Refer to section 7.21 in your textbook and, in particular, the paragraph 'Characters', to further comment on Hester's individuality.
- Refer to section 7.21 in your textbook and, in particular, the paragraph 'Symbols', to discuss the nuanced meaning of the letter A.

A:

The passage fully supports the claim that Hester's embroidery was meant to turn her punishment into an expression of pride.

B:

According to the passage, the embroidery changes the meaning of the scarlet letter, transforming it beyond the magistrates' original intention.

C:

Because the letter breaks the colony's sumptuary regulations, it paradoxically becomes a symbol that challenges the very law it was meant to enforce.

D:

The narrator is sympathetic towards Hester's reasons for embroidering the letter and offers his own perspective on them.

E:

The fact that the letter stands for 'Adulteress' is only deduced by the readers.

Revise

Vero o falso