Menu

The Scarlet Letter : la honte et la force (1re)

Fiche à imprimer : le cours, les trois exercices et le corrigé (sur une page à part). Revenir au cours en ligne

AnglaisFrançais
The story takes place in Puritan Boston.L'histoire se déroule dans le Boston puritain.
Hester is forced to wear a scarlet letter A.Hester est forcée de porter une lettre A écarlate.
She is publicly shamed on a scaffold.Elle est humiliée publiquement sur une estrade.
She refuses to reveal the father's name.Elle refuse de révéler le nom du père.
The minister hides his guilt.Le pasteur cache sa culpabilité.
Over time, the letter comes to mean "Able".Avec le temps, la lettre en vient à signifier « Capable ».

The Scarlet Letter (1850) de l'Américain Nathaniel Hawthorne se déroule au XVIIe siècle dans la très stricte communauté puritaine de Boston. Hester Prynne a eu un enfant hors mariage : elle est condamnée à porter sur sa robe une lettre A écarlate (a scarlet letter), pour « adultère », et exposée à la honte publique (public shame). Elle refuse de nommer le père, qui n'est autre que le respecté pasteur Dimmesdale, rongé en secret par la culpabilité (guilt). Avec le temps, grâce à sa dignité et à sa générosité, Hester transforme le sens du symbole : pour certains, le A finit par signifier Able (capable). Le roman dénonce l'hypocrisie (hypocrisy).

Mise en situation : le cours de littérature

Teacher : What is the scarlet letter, and why does Hester wear it?
Qu'est-ce que la lettre écarlate, et pourquoi Hester la porte-t-elle ?
Clara : It's a red letter A. She's forced to wear it because she had a child outside marriage.
C'est une lettre A rouge. Elle est forcée de la porter parce qu'elle a eu un enfant hors mariage.
Teacher : Who is the father?
Qui est le père ?
Nathan : The minister, Dimmesdale. But he's too afraid to confess, so he hides his guilt while everyone admires him.
Le pasteur, Dimmesdale. Mais il a trop peur pour avouer, alors il cache sa culpabilité pendant que tout le monde l'admire.
Clara : That's pure hypocrisy! Hester is punished in public, whereas he's respected.
C'est de l'hypocrisie pure ! Hester est punie en public, alors que lui est respecté.
Teacher : Yes. And does the meaning of the letter stay the same?
Oui. Et le sens de la lettre reste-t-il le même ?
Nathan : No. Hester helps so many people that some say the A means "Able". She turns a symbol of shame into a symbol of strength.
Non. Hester aide tellement de gens que certains disent que le A signifie « Capable ». Elle transforme un symbole de honte en symbole de force.

À retenir

  • a Puritan, a scarlet letter, shame, guilt, a minister, a scaffold, hypocrisy, a symbol, strength.
  • is forced to wear / is punished (passif) ; too afraid to confess ; whereas ; so many people that... ; turns a symbol of shame into a symbol of strength.

Exercice 1 : La Lettre écarlate : exercice 1 (QCM)

  1. « écarlate »
    1. scarlet
    2. scarlett of
    3. scared
  2. « la honte »
    1. same
    2. sham
    3. shame
  3. « la culpabilité »
    1. gilt
    2. guild
    3. guilt
  4. « Elle est forcée de la porter. »
    1. She is forced to wear it.
    2. She is forced wearing it.
    3. She forces to wear it.
  5. « un pasteur »
    1. a minstrel
    2. a minister
    3. a monster
  6. « avouer »
    1. to confer
    2. to confuse
    3. to confess
  7. « l'hypocrisie »
    1. hypocrisy
    2. hypocrisis
    3. hypocrite
  8. « trop effrayé pour avouer »
    1. so afraid to confess
    2. too afraid to confess
    3. too afraid for confess
  9. Pour certains, le A finit par signifier...
    1. America
    2. Able
    3. Alone
  10. L'auteur de La Lettre écarlate :
    1. Herman Melville
    2. Nathaniel Hawthorne
    3. Mark Twain

Exercice 2 : La Lettre écarlate : exercice 2 (à compléter)

  1. It's a red letter .......................... .
  2. She's .......................... to wear it.
  3. She had a child outside .......................... .
  4. He's too .......................... to confess.
  5. He hides his .......................... .
  6. That's pure .......................... !
  7. Hester is punished in public, .......................... he's respected.
  8. Does the meaning of the letter stay the .......................... ?
  9. She helps so many people .......................... some say the A means "Able".
  10. She turns a symbol of shame .......................... a symbol of strength.

Exercice 3 : La Lettre écarlate : mise en situation

  1. Pourquoi la porte-t-elle ?
    1. Why does she wear it?
    2. Why she wears it?
    3. Why does she wears it?
  2. Elle est forcée de la porter.
    1. She's forced to where it.
    2. She forced to wear it.
    3. She's forced to wear it.
  3. Il a trop peur pour avouer.
    1. He's too afraid for confessing.
    2. He's to afraid to confess.
    3. He's too afraid to confess.
  4. Il cache sa culpabilité.
    1. He hides his guilt.
    2. He hide his guilt.
    3. He hides his gilt.
  5. Tout le monde l'admire.
    1. Everyone admires he.
    2. Everyone admires him.
    3. Everyone admire him.
  6. Elle est punie en public, alors que lui est respecté.
    1. She's punished in public, wherever he's respected.
    2. She's punished in public, whereas he's respected.
    3. She punished in public, whereas he respected.
  7. Le sens reste-t-il le même ?
    1. Does the meaning stay the same?
    2. The meaning stays the same?
    3. Does the meaning stays the same?
  8. Elle aide tellement de gens que...
    1. She helps so much people that...
    2. She helps such many people that...
    3. She helps so many people that...
  9. Elle transforme un symbole de honte en symbole de force.
    1. She turns a symbol of shame in a symbol of strong.
    2. She turns a symbol of shame into a symbol of strength.
    3. She turn a symbol of same into a symbol of strength.
  10. Elle refuse de révéler le nom du père.
    1. She refuses revealing the father name.
    2. She refuses to reveal the father's name.
    3. She refuse to reveal the fathers name.

Corrigé

Exercice 1

1. a) scarlet · 2. c) shame · 3. c) guilt · 4. a) She is forced to wear it. · 5. b) a minister · 6. c) to confess · 7. a) hypocrisy · 8. b) too afraid to confess · 9. b) Able · 10. b) Nathaniel Hawthorne

Exercice 2

1. A · 2. forced · 3. marriage · 4. afraid · 5. guilt · 6. hypocrisy · 7. whereas · 8. same · 9. that · 10. into

Exercice 3

1. a) Why does she wear it? · 2. c) She's forced to wear it. · 3. c) He's too afraid to confess. · 4. a) He hides his guilt. · 5. b) Everyone admires him. · 6. b) She's punished in public, whereas he's respected. · 7. a) Does the meaning stay the same? · 8. c) She helps so many people that... · 9. b) She turns a symbol of shame into a symbol of strength. · 10. b) She refuses to reveal the father's name.