Questions

What colony is the setting for the novel?

Boston Massachusetts

Where in the colony does the opening chapter take place?

By the Jail

For what 2 “practical necessities” did the new colony set aside land?

Burial ground and Prison house

Who is Anne Hutchinson? How does Hawthorne feel about her?

A woman who was put on trial for speaking false ideas, she said that god spoke to her directly but all puritans believe he only speaks through the bible. Hawthorne thinks that she is like the rose bush and she is pure (she fights for what she believes in dispite the consequences.

What 2 possible symbols does the rose have for the reader?

The rose bush is a symbol of a few things. One being hope, there is this lone, beautiful rose bush out side of an old and decrepit jail and people who are in the jail see it and it makes them think of all the beautiful and possible things outside of the jail. It makes hem think of all things right in the world. Another example that this rose symbolizes is the fact that through all the demolition and destruction of all nature by the people, this one, pure and beautiful rose bush survived. Note here that by calling the rose bush “wild” it ties back into my earlier statement about how the people in the jail look at this bush as hope, but also in envy because all things in nature are pure and the fact that they are in jail means that they aren’t pure anymore according to the puritans.