In this lesson, students will explore the differences between the terms “evident” and “self‐​evident” to better understand the influence of the principles of the Declaration of Independence on the work of American authors such as Nathaniel Hawthorne. Using interactive discussion and activities, this lesson provides a foundation for understanding the layered perspectives in Hawthorne’s work—namely, the way that his narrator from 19th‐​century Massachusetts portrays life in 17th‐​century Puritan New England. Engaging in the lesson’s learning activities will prompt students to think more deeply about language in the Declaration while discussing how its principles set the stage for robust literary conversation.

Note: This lesson is the 1st in a 4‑lesson series.

• How does Nathaniel Hawthorne use Hester’s characterization to explore the principles of “equality,” “unalienable rights,” and “consent of the governed”?
• How does Hester’s journey embody struggles over “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” within restrictive social systems?

• Analyze the text for key details that reveal the motivations and complexities of characters in The Scarlet Letter.
• Evaluate Nathaniel Hawthorne’s narrator for reliability by considering how the 19th‐​century perspective shapes the portrayal of characters in The Scarlet Letter.
• Define evident and self‐​evident truths as related to the articulation in the Declaration of Independence.
• Differentiate between evident and self‐​evident truths as they relate to characters and discussing which truths in The Scarlet Letter appear more enduring or fragile.

• CHA 1.A. Identify and describe what specific textual details reveal about a character, that character’s perspective, and that character’s motives.
• CHA 1.D. Describe how textual details reveal nuances and complexities in characters’ relationships with one another.
• NAR 4.D. Explain how a narrator’s reliability affects a narrative.
• FIG 5.D. Identify and explain the function of an image or imagery.

• Sphere Education’s Principles and Argument of the American Founding
• The Scarlet Letter
• Excerpt from The House of the Seven Gables
• What’s Going to Happen? Student Worksheet (see end of this lesson)
• Evident or Self‐​Evident? Student Worksheet (see end of this lesson)

Give students this table of words related to The Scarlet Letter. Explain to students that each of these words is either a key character, object, or motivation that is important to the plot of the story.

Then ask students to write a story using all the words in the table. The goal of this activity is for students to predict what might happen while getting a sense of key words they should look for while reading. After students have written their story, have them keep it and tell them they will return to it later.

*Note: You can scaffold this activity for diverse learners by cutting out the words in the table and having pairs of students work together to physically arrange the words in a way that shows key markers of a story. Or, you can have small groups of students work together to cowrite a story using all the words from the table.

Ask students to define the word “romance” as it relates to literature and writing. After taking a few ideas, share this excerpt from the preface to Hawthorne’s literary work The House of the Seven Gables.

“When a writer calls his work a Romance, it need hardly be observed that he wishes to claim a certain latitude, both as to its fashion and material, which he would not have felt himself entitled to assume had he professed to be writing a Novel. The latter form of composition is presumed to aim at a very minute fidelity, not merely to the possible, but to the probable and ordinary course of man’s experience. The former—while, as a work of art, it must rigidly subject itself to laws, and while it sins unpardonably so far as it may swerve aside from the truth of the human heart—has fairly a right to present that truth under circumstances, to a great extent, of the writer’s own choosing or creation.”

Discuss Hawthorne’s definition with students, stressing the idea that in Hawthorne’s mind, a romance has latitude to “bend the truth” for a deeper, moral purpose (using symbols and other literary elements) while a novel does not have this freedom because it needs to maintain a fidelity to real, everyday life. Spark students’ interest in determining whether The Scarlet Letter is a novel or a romance.

Explain to students that determining the genre of the story is a step toward figuring out the author’s purpose. Another important step is determining what is “evident” about the setting and the community of The Scarlet Letter. If needed, dig a bit deeper into the definition and etymology of the word “evident.” According to the Merriam‐​Webster dictionary, the word “evident” comes from the Latin evident‐, evidens, which is from the root videre, which means “to see.” In other words, what is “evident” is what a person can see or understand clearly.

As they read Chapters 1–6, have students pay attention to words, phrases, and images that portray something (or someone) being “seen” or something (or someone) being “unseen.” Stress the importance of taking note of what Hawthorne makes visible for his readers so that he can set the stage for the rest of the story.

Have students read Chapters 1–6 of The Scarlet Letter. Consider having them read the introductory essay “The Custom House,” which will give them insight into Hawthorne as a writer as he establishes the story’s narration. However, the introductory essay is not crucial for engaging in this lesson.

Remind students to annotate passages that portray the idea of “seen” or “unseen” and to mark any details that give them new insights or information about the characters or setting of the story.

Revisit with students this table of words related to The Scarlet Letter.

Ask them to take out their original writing about the story (from the Warm‐​Up) and reread what they wrote. Then have them independently answer the following questions.

1. Now that you have read the first 6 chapters of The Scarlet Letter, what is evident to you that was not evident before? Give 3 examples using quotations from your original piece of writing and the text of The Scarlet Letter.
2. What do you hope to find more evidence about as you continue reading? Why do you hope to find more evidence about that item or topic? Explain your thoughts in a well‐​written paragraph.

After all students have written their responses, ask them to share their thoughts with a partner or in a small group.

The goal of this section is to connect the layers of what students are learning about the Puritan setting of The Scarlet Letter (the mid‐​17th century), the Declaration of Independence (written in the latter part of the 18th century), and author Nathaniel Hawthorne (who lived and published in the mid‐​19th century). Putting these pieces together will help students see the relevance of Puritan New England to the necessity for developing the Declaration. It also should ensure that students are aware of the difference of more than a century between The Scarlet Letter’s setting and Hawthorne’s writing of the book.

Tell students that there was about a 150‐​year difference between the time that Hawthorne was writing (in the mid‐​19th century) and the setting of The Scarlet Letter (in the mid‐​17th century). As a class, make a list of all the events that happened between the mid‐​17th century in America and the publication of The Scarlet Letter. Write this shared list on the board or a piece of butcher paper so all students have access to it.

After you have generated a strong list of events, highlight the events that are related to the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence. Ask students to think about why these events were so momentous. What was different about the worldview of the Founders and the worldview of someone living in the American colonies of the 17th century?

Bring students back to the idea (from the 2nd lesson in the unit) that the Declaration of Independence is foundational to understanding themes in American literature. Specifically point out the phrase “We hold these truths to be self‐​evident.…”

• Put students in pairs or in small groups and ask them to discuss the following questions.
  • What is the meaning of the term “self‐​evident”?
  • What is the difference between something being “evident” and something being “self‐​evident”?

• Guide students to understand that a key difference between these 2 terms is that an “evident” idea is one that necessarily includes proof or evidence while a “self‐​evident” idea is one in which its meaning is revealed in its parts. In other words, a self‐​evident truth relates to human dignity as something that cannot be given or taken away. It simply exists because a person is alive. *Note: If you want to dive more deeply into this, have students read (or reread) the “Self‐​Evident Truths” section of Sphere Education’s Principles and Argument of the American Founding.

Give each student a copy of the “Evident or Self‐​Evident?” student worksheet found or ask them to create a table like the one below. The table asks students to identify examples of truths that are evident versus truths that are self‐​evident in The Scarlet Letter. Tell them that each column should include an example from the text. Several examples of what students may identify are in the following table.

After students have completed the activity, ask several students to share their thoughts with the whole group.

To close the lesson, ask students to reflect on the following questions in a journal entry or on a digital document that they will be able to revisit.

• From The Scarlet Letter (Chapters 1–6), choose an “evident truth” believed by the Puritan community and a “self‐​evident truth” revealed through Hester or Pearl. Which of these truths seems most fragile and which seems enduring? Why?
• The Declaration of Independence begins with the phrase “We hold these truths to be self‐​evident.…” Why do you think Jefferson chose “self‐​evident” instead of simply “truths” or even just “evident truths?” How does this distinction affect your understanding of the Declaration?
• Imagine that The Scarlet Letter was written in the late 17th century. How would the setting, characters, or themes of that version be similar to or different from Hawthorne’s story, which was published 7 decades after the writing of the Declaration of Independence? What does this comparison tell you about the influence of the Declaration on the writing of American literature?