Name: _________________________          Date: __________ Class: _______

Wearing the Letter of My Transgression Writing Prompt

As you have learned while reading The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne was an outcast in her community. She was ordered to wear a scarlet letter sewn on her chest for the rest of her life. The letter A was an emblem of her crime of adultery.

For this exercise, you should choose a negative, or possibly embarrassing, trait such as lazy, gossip, clumsy, mooch, short, snoop, etc. and make a letter to wear for the entire next school day. For example, “F” for Flirt, “L” for Lazy. Place it on your clothing in a place that others can readily see it. 

Keep a log of the questions and reactions you encounter as a result of the letter you are wearing.

If someone asks you what it means, respond with an explanation of the letter (ex. My “T” stands for “Talkative” because I like to talk during class.) Record their reaction (verbal/physical) to your explanation. Are you treated differently or looked at differently?

Take the observations you have logged the day you wore your letter, and write a one-page essay reflecting on the day of your experience (make sure you include what letter you wore and what it represented in your essay). For next class, bring your letter, your notes, and your essay for discussion and for an essay grade. 

Some questions to consider as you write:

Can you imagine how Hester might have felt?

What if you had to wear you letter for the rest of your life?

How did you make your letter?