Wearing The Scarlet Letter

On Wednesday February 1st and Thursday the 2nd, students in Ms. Cervera Pre-IB American Literature classes created and had the opportunity to wear their very own scarlet letter. While it was an assignment for students to create a sort of scarlet letter, it was optional if they wanted to wear it for the entirety of the day. This experience can have a profound effect on students and can help them experience the world form Hester Prynne’s point of view.

“This assignment mimics what Hester Prynne goes through in The Scarlet Letter and Melinda Sordino experiences in the book, Speak. It takes a fictional plot line from literature and makes it real for students”, said Ms. Cervera.

In the book, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne has been tried for her crimes as an adulterer, and found guilty. Her punishment for this crime was to wear the red letter “A” on her chest, for adulterer. This had a profound impact on the character and how she developed through the text.

“Year after year, I hear the same comments about the experience. Random people in the hallway want to know why they are wearing them. Teachers interrogate their students to find out their crimes. My students question whether they should share their guilt or keep it to themselves, a luxury Hester Prynne did not have”, said Ms. Cervera.

This project has been going on in Ms. Cervera Pre-IB class now for nine years, and in the regular 10th grade english for eight years. The Scarlet Letter project has been a large success for most students in helping them get a more indepth view of what it feels like to be in a situation like Hester Prynne.

Students were required to create a letter that stands for their greatest fault in life. This could be represented by a drawing that is decorated, or a more three dimensional approach.

They were also required write a paragraph about their shortcoming and how it has had an influence on their life. For extra credit students could wear their letter the whole day and experience life through Hester Prynne’s eyes.

“The experience of feeling truly guilty of something you did and having the world around you knowing, asking about, and judging that guilt is a great unifier of us all”, said Ms. Cer