<p>Does anyone have any tips for understanding The Scarlet Letter? I'm having a hard time digesting the meanings of words to get what the author is trying to say. Should I just look up all of the words that I do not know or what? How did you guys survive this book?</p>
<p>sparknotes........</p>
<p>yeah read sparknotes before reading the chapter and you will understand it.</p>
<p>Seriously spark notes helped a ton.
Also go back and re-read each sentence out loud.</p>
<p>Well, I actually get most of what the narrator is saying now but I just stumble over the vocabulary and grammar in some sentences. You don't even need to know the archaic vocabulary words he uses right? I just ignore them and I go on without looking them up... Is this bad though? Do you guys look up all of the words you don't know or just guess their definitions?</p>
<p>We're reading Scarlet Letter right now in my english class and to understand it you have to read it very slowly and make sure you read every single word. It's meant to be read that way. It's the only way you can really understand it. I thought it was really boring and absolutely hated it at first, but now I think it's really beautiful writing and totaly understand why it's a classic.</p>
<p>We're reading it right now too (well, we had to read it over the summer but we're analyzing it right now).</p>
<p>My teacher made us take notes in the margins and underline important things like new characters. It makes reviewing A LOT easier.</p>
<p>Is that the one when the dead bird dies and I think the little brother dies too?</p>
<p>...um, there is no little brother in The Scarlet Letter. XD</p>
<p>OP: Take it one sentence at a time. Read out loud to yourself. Underline sentences that you're having trouble understanding. Only bother looking up words if they're keeping you from understanding the sentence (or if you're just really curious, I guess XD). Use Sparknotes only as a last resort. Don't kill yourself.</p>
<p>That is how I survived. XD</p>
<p>I had to rely on Cliff's Notes. If I had followed some of the suggestions here (reading it slowly or reading it out loud), I'd still be stuck in high school today, and it's now 17 years later.</p>
<p>The story in which the bird and the little brother die is called The Scarlet Ibis. Ah, memories of 10th grade...</p>
<p>I remember that poem too! We did it in 9th grade I think.</p>
<p>Don't use any of that crappy notes stuff. First of all, is it the writing style that gets you? Do you read a paragraph and realize you don't know what it means? If so, look at each word you don't know. Keep a dictionary handy, but try not to use it. Look for contextual clues. Then put the meanings of the words together. If the sentence doesn't make sense, look for other interpetations.</p>
<p>If it's the message or the plot that gets you, take notes. Make charts or maps if you want, and try to understand the author's tone. Try to catch general trends, and the character's feelings. Read up on the context of the book, like the author's life or the themes of similar books. Think actively while reading. I've never read The Scarlet Letter, but try to think beyond something a dank whale could comprehend (for example, it's obvious Hawthorne was, to some extent, anti-Puritan - dig deeper into subtle nuances).</p>
<p>Oh the Scarlet Letter!!</p>
<p>I read it in seventh grade! It's not too tricky to read if you just analyze what you you're falling for. Is it the theme, vocab, or what? Just read slowly and look up any unfamiliar words in the dictionary. Take notes. HIGHLIGHT and/or WRITE IN YOUR BOOK (if possible). Be aware of the symbols (ex: rose) which are sprinkled and recurrent throughout the novel.</p>
<p>However, if you really want a shortut, I advise you look at Sparknotes.</p>