Lies, deception and hiding the truth are at the center of the story of The Scarlet Letter. Talk about some of the ways that the three main characters--Hester, Dimmesdale and Chillingworth--lie or hide the truth. Do they lie/hide the truth for different reasons? What do those 'different reasons' say about each of their personalities?

In a 10-12 sentence response-style paragraph, explore the degree to which you agree or disagree with faulkner’s message. “i believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. he is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance. the poet's, the writer's, duty is to write about these things. it is his privilege to man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past. the poet's voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to him endure and prevail” (faulkner 773-775).