Scarlet Letter Seminar Topics -- Symposium will be Oct 22 & Oct 23, both periods.
1. Compare & contrast the varied ideals of Puritanism and how Hawthorne, through the novel’s theme, presents the religion. Provide a brief history of the religion in the United States, and cite other examples of the religion in literature. Describe how the religion's effects are still evident in the values and traditions of the United States.
2. Describe and present the inner turmoil of Dimmesdale’s and Hester’s characters in the novel. Describe the psychological conflicts. Be sure your presentation covers the breadth of the characters through in-depth analysis and profiling. Be sure to chronicle their relationship and the important role each plays in expounding the thematic importance of the other.
3. How does the novel represent the “American Romantic” movement? Begin by defining, discussing and providing examples of the movement and its key players. What are the other key works of 19th Century Romanticism? What role does SL play in the canon. Then provide insight on Hawthorne’s feeling toward Romanticism. Explain how atmosphere contributes to this. Also introduce other genre designations possible for The Scarlet Letter.
4. The novel is rich in symbolism. From the title to the “A,” Hawthorne uses double meanings and physical objects to express themes. Choose five symbols and thoroughly describe their importance to the novel and thus, what they teach us about humans and society. Be sure to include not only your team’s inference of the symbolism, but also, the research of other credible sources. (You may not choose Hester, Dimmesdale or Pearl)
5. Compare/contrast Hawthorne’s short story The Minister’s Black Veil with the Scarlet Letter. Focus on characters and tone. Provide the class with a synopsis of the story. Describe how the two works mirror one another in terms of genre, social importance and literary device (This project requires that the family reads the story, it can be found in our textbook).
6. Create a character profile on Pearl. Show how the character contributes to the theme of the novel, and express the symbolism of her relationship (or lack thereof) with the other major characters. Include analysis of her clothes and imagination. Then, find two other major characters throughout all media that are similar in purpose to Pearl. Introduce the class to these characters and explain the comparison.
7. Sin and society: explain the relationship of these two concepts in the novel. Provide the disparaging views on these entities from the perspective of various major characters in the novel. Focus on the relationship between sin and public service (think Presidential scandals, i.e.). Focus on the concept of “original sin,” what is it and how does it relate to the novel? Focus on the concept of sin as a social challenge or hindrance. How does this translate to today’s society.
8. Discuss the history of public shaming. How accurately is it portrayed in the novel? What are the roots of public shaming & humiliation? What are the other devices and causes of public shaming throughout history? How have these devices and techniques shaped or misshapen society?
9. Compare/contrast Hawthorne’s short story Young Goodman Brown with the Scarlet Letter. Focus on characters and tone. Provide the class with a synopsis of the story. Describe how the two works mirror one another in terms of genre, social importance and literary device (This project requires that the family reads the story. The story should be easy to find, but I will help you if you struggle to get a copy).
10. Create an author profile on Nathaniel Hawthorne. Include information on his early life and discuss how these influences have contributed to his writing. Pay special attention to the geography of Hawthorne’s story. Consider the influences of life in Salem & Boston, MA on his career. Also, discuss his influence on this region, and the overall role Salem has played in American History.
11. Provide an outline of the events occurring in 1692 Salem Massachusetts (what has become known as the “witch hysteria” or “Salem witch trials”). Your presentation should provide a chronology of events, key individuals, thematic purpose, theories, controversies and overall implications of the event’s importance on the overall fabric of American history.
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to allow students an opportunity to further explore specific aspects of the novel. The presentation should provide your peers with enough knowledge and insight to fit the general focus of the course. The presentlem ation will allow / require the student to:
The Presentation:
1. between 5 – 7 mins with a 3 – 5 minute Q&A period following. During this time, the group will field questions from peers and instructors
2. each member of family must be involved (in some capacity)
3. must contain a visual aspect (i.e. power point, website, chart, slideshow, poster board, etc)
4. must contain a written aspect (a handout, a written synopsis of finding, etc)
5. thoroughly and creatively address EACH of the questions or prompts posed by the given topic
Considerations
visual aids should help organize lesson
make the information interesting as well as informative
connect themes to other known events outside the novel when applicable
when researching, remember the tenets of quality discussed in class (insert them
below for easy reference)
Evaluation
The following will be the process by which each presentation will be evaluated.
Each presentation will be evaluated on five key areas (each ranked on a scale of 1- 20):
1) Informational Value
2) Creativity/ Time Utilization
3) Written Materials
4) Thoroughness and Accuracy of Research
5) Overall Effectiveness
All paperwork - research notes, etc. and a bibliography (in MLA format) of sources will be collected upon completion of the presentation and factored in as part of the total score. Each team will present a packet on seminar day that contains a copy of handouts, slides (etc), a research synopsis, bibliography and any relevant notes.
Each presentation will count as a grade in English & Government.
See the following website for proper APA, though I am not going to make a big deal out of format….YET!
http://www.liunet.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citmla.htm
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