Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter (Cliffs Notes) [Student Edition] [Paperback]

Cliffs Notes (Author), Susan Van Kirk (Author)

Book Description

Series: Cliffsnotes Literature | Publication Date: June 5, 2000

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.

In CliffsNotes on Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, you explore life in 17th-century Massachusetts as you follow the ordeal of Hester Prynne, who has been found guilty of adultery and sentenced to wear a scarlet letter A on her dress as a sign of shame. The Scarlet Letter is considered to be Hawthorne's finest work, depicting a world where the real meets the unreal, the actual meets the imaginary — in a classic story that is difficult to forget.

This study guide carefully walks you through every step of Hester's journey by providing summaries and critical analyses of each chapter of the novel. You'll also explore the life and background of the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and gain insight into how he came to write The Scarlet Letter. Other features that help you study include

• Character analyses of major players
• A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters
• Critical essays on the novel's setting and structure, symbolism, and classification as a gothic romance
• A review section that tests your knowledge
• A Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Internet sites

Classic literature or modern modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

CliffsNotes reinforce learning and help students explore themes, literary devices, and character development. Newly revised for today's readers, CliffsNotes provide keys to learning like no other study aid. Icons throughout the book highlight essential elements of particular interest:

Theme: Reveals the underlying themes in the work Character Insight: Helps you to more easily relate or discover the depth of a character Literary Device: Uncovers elements such as setting, atmosphere, mystery, passion, violence, irony, symbolism, tragedy, foreshadowing, and satire Style & Language: Enables you to appreciate the nuances of words and phrases

From the Back Cover

39 New and Revised Titles. The Best Just Got Better! Plus Glossary from Webster's New World^™ Dictionary Anthem Atlas Shrugged Beowulf Brave New World The Canterbury Tales The Catcher in the Rye The Contender The Crucible The Fountainhead Frankenstein The Grapes of Wrath Great Expectations The Great Gatsby Hamlet Heart of Darkness & The Secret Sharer Huckleberry Finn The Iliad Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Inherit the Wind Jane Eyre Julius Caesar The Killer Angels King Lear Lord of the Flies Macbeth 1984 The Odyssey The Oedipus Trilogy The Once and Future King Othello The Outsiders Pride and Prejudice The Red Badge of Courage Romeo and Juliet The Scarlet Letter A Separate Peace A Tale of Two Cities To Kill a Mockingbird Wuthering Heights See inside for the complete line-up of available CliffsNotes! Check Out the All-New CliffsNotes Guides To AOL^®, iMacs^™, eBay^®, Windows^® 98, Investing, Creating Web Pages, and more! More Than Notes! CliffsComplete^™ CliffsTestPrep^™ CliffsQuickReview^™ CliffsAP^™ Over 300 CliffsNotes Available @ cliffsnotes.com Downloadable 24 hours a day Free daily e-mail newsletters Free tips, tricks, and trivia Free online CliffsNotes catalog Free self-assessment tools Freeware and shareware downloads

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Cliffs Notes; 1 edition (June 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076458605X
• ISBN-13: 978-0764586057
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.3 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Books & Reading > Reference
  • #27 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > United States > History & Criticism
  • #37 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Education > Book Notes

More About the Author

Susan Van Kirk was born in Galesburg, Illinois, and educated at Knox College (BA) and University of Illinois (M.Ed). During the thirty-four years she taught at Monmouth High School (1968-2002), she also raised three children and then turned them loose.

Once she earned her graduate degree she began writing on a freelance basis and was hired to write CliffsNotes for The Scarlet Letter, All Quiet on the Western Front, My Antonia, The Age of Innocence, The Importance of Being Earnest, Hiroshima, Of Mice and Men, and The Secret Life of Bees. This job came in handy because it helped her determine if her students were using her writing in their book reports.

Her story, "War and Remembrance," was published in Teacher Magazine in March/April 2006.

Following retirement from Monmouth High School, she began teaching at Monmouth College, a four-year, liberal arts school. Currently she divides her time between her home in Monmouth, Illinois, and Phoenix, Arizona, where her children and grandchildren live.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Help for Struggling Readers, June 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)

These cliff notes greatly enhance the reader's ability to understand Hawthorne's extensive symbolism throughout the story. In addition, the character synopsis and plot summary allow the reader to fully understand the actions embedded in this wordy novel.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Useful, August 29, 2001

By 

A.Trendl HungarianBookstore.com "What should ... (Glen Ellyn, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)

Since the Bible is not taught in most schools, this Cliffsnotes is quite handy. There are so many biblical references and ideas driving the theme of Hawthorne's splendid novel, that without this guide, few teachers would understand the full context of Hawthorne's book.

Oh, students will find it helpful as well!

I fully recommend "Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter (Cliffs Notes)."

Anthony Trendl

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent aid for students of all abilities, October 22, 2001

By 

B. Lotfinia "Babak" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)

Not to sound pretentious, but I had no trouble understanding "The Scarlet Letter," but I still found immense value in this companion text from Cliffs. It helped me by confirming what I myself had thought about the book and giving me interesting ideas for the term paper I was writing. Its usefulness comes from the ease of reading and the volume and quality of its contents. Of further value to the student is the rapidity with which the Cliffs Notes are read, making it indispensable for last minute paper-writing!

One closing comment: Cliffs Notes, however useful, are an aid for the reading of the full text and are no substitute for it.