1. Agenda for Monday, November 7
1. Work returned and explained
(10 min.)
2. The Scarlet Letter (40 min.)
o “The Custom House” Tier 2
Vocabulary reconciled
o “The Custom House”
o Intro to the Novel
o Reading Journal Expectations
3. Begin Homework (Remaining Time)

2. AP English 11 Your Name
Tier 2 Quiz November 7, 2011
o 1—5 Spell and Define
• (2 x 5 = 10 points)
o 6—10 Use in a sentence correctly
• (3 x 5 = 15 points)

3. “The Custom House” Vocabulary
o Prolix (adjective) [proh-liks] extended to great,
unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy.
o Emolument (noun) [ih-mol-yuh-muhnt] profit,
salary, or fees from office or employment;
compensation for services
o Vicissitude (noun) successive, alternating, or
changing phases or conditions, as of life or
fortune; ups and downs
o Dotage (noun) [doh-tij] a decline of mental faculties,
esp. as associated with old age; senility.
o Vitiate (verb) [vish-ee-eyt] to impair the quality of;
make faulty; spoil.
o Polemical (adjective) [puh-lem-ik-uhl] a controversial
argument, as one against some opinion, doctrine,
etc.

4. “The Custom House”
• On class blog, see link below

5. “The Custom House”
• Interest stems from his family’s long-standing
connection with Salem; when he comes to the Custom
House, Hawthorne uncovers artifacts that relate to the
Puritans of Salem around the 1640’s.
• Partly autobiographical, offers insight into the conflict
Hawthorne experiences between the actions of his
forefathers and his determination to tell the truth as he
sees it.
• He discovers a faded scarlet A and parchment sheets
that contain details on which the novel is based.
• Hawthorne embellishes the facts given in the
manuscripts by weaving a romantic tale around the
documented events.

6. “The Custom House” (Continued)
• The atmosphere of Salem in the 1800’s still has echoes
of the Puritanical Salem of the 1600’s where a colony
was founded, which concentrated on God’s teachings
and a strict duty to live by his word.
• Throughout the book Hawthorne provides a full
description of the events, places and in particular, his
ancestors who he describes as “dim and dusky, grave,
bearded, sable-cloaked and steel-crowned, bitter
persecutors”.
• Hawthorne’s text shows his dislike and hostility towards
the stern morality and rigidity of the Puritans. His
connection to the Puritan ideal makes him a good
commentator on the subject.

7. “The Custom House” (Continued)
• Hawthorne describes how his work at the Custom
House smothers his creativity and imagination.
• He is driven to write the book due to his curiosity
concerning the scarlet letter.
• The manuscript account of the events is purely
factual and Hawthorne adds the romance using his
imagination viewing it as a rebellion and escape
from the oppressive Puritan society.
• The artifact is introduced so as to give his novel an
air of historic truth.

8. Reading Journal Entry Format
Prior to Reading
o Assignment Info: Chapter title and pages encompassed.
o Vocabulary: Transfer the provided vocabulary information for
the chapter.
While Reading
o Vocabulary (continued): Identify and record context clues.
o Suggestion: Use post it notes to note any info that may be
useful in completing the After Reading Activity.
After Reading
o Active Reading: Complete the assigned activity/graphic
organizer in your Reading Journal using information gleaned
from the reading.

9. Homework Due Next Class
o Read Chapters 1—4 of The Scarlet Letter and
complete assigned journaling activities.
o Study ALL vocabulary.