Identifying The Scarlet Letter Literary Conflicts

Activity Overview

Literary conflicts are often taught during ELA units. Building on prior knowledge to achieve mastery level with our students is important. An excellent way to focus on the various types of literary conflict is through storyboarding. Having students choose an example of each literary conflict and depict it using the storyboard creator is a great way to reinforce your lesson!

Much of the conflict in The Scarlet Letter stems from the sin that Hester and Dimmesdale commit in their Puritan society, and how they have to learn to live in that community with their guilt, and their sin.

Types of Literary Conflict Graphic Organizer

MAN vs. MAN

The town leaders become concerned that Hester is an unfit parent for Pearl because of her wild behavior, and they want to take Pearl away from her.

MAN vs. SELF

Dimmesdale experiences such intense guilt at making Hester carry the burden of their sin alone that he begins to look sickly and unwell.

MAN vs. SOCIETY

Hester’s sin of adultery flies in the face of the Puritan ideals and laws of Boston at the time, resulting in her life-long punishment of wearing a scarlet “A” on her chest.

Copy Activity*

Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Student Instructions

Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict in The Scarlet Letter.

Identify conflicts in The Scarlet Letter.
Categorize each conflict as Character vs. Character, Character vs. Self, Character vs. Society, Character vs. Nature, or Character vs. Technology.
Illustrate conflicts in the cells, using characters from the story.
Write a short description of the conflict below the cell.

Copy This Storyboard

More options

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 9-10

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual or Partner

Type of Activity: Types of Literary Conflict

Common Core Standards

[ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/3] Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme
[ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/5] Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise
[ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/6] Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature

Copy Activity*

Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

Types of Literary Conflict Rubric

Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict from the story. Support your choices with evidence from the text.

	Proficient	Emerging	Beginning	Try Again
Conflict Identification	Student identifies correct major conflicts and uses strong, clear textual evidence to support choice.	Student identifies correct major conflict and uses few or unclear details to support their choice.	Student identifies incorrect major conflict, and uses some details from the text to support their choice.	Student does not attempt to identify major conflict or identifies incorrect major conflict with no explanation.
Understanding Outcome	Student clearly shows the outcome of the conflict and its effects on the protagonist with evidence from the text.	Student shows the outcome of the conflict and its effect on the protagonist, but some evidence is unclear.	Student shows the outcome of the conflict, but does not examine its effect on the protagonist and uses some vague textual evidence.	Student does not clearly show the outcome of the conflict or use textual evidence.
Character	Storyboard includes all required characters and clearly names them. Goes above and beyond by adding additional details.	Storyboard includes all required characters and clearly names them.	Storyboard includes protagonist and antagonist but leaves out other required characters.	Storyboard does not include the names of required characters.
Storyboard	Student clearly shows effort to convey the setting the scene of the book	Student attempts to convey setting and scene of the book, but lacks some clarity.	Student does not clearly convey the setting and scene.	Student makes little or no attempt to convey the setting or scene.
Spelling and Grammar	Student uses exemplary spelling and grammar. There are no errors.	Student makes a minor error in spelling and grammar.	Student makes several minor errors in spelling and grammar.	Student makes many errors in spelling and grammar; little attempt at spellchecking.