Question

Read this excerpt from chapter 1 of The Scarlet Letter.

A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes.

Which best describes the effect of the words “sad-colored,” “steeple-crowned,” and “iron spikes”?
They establish the mournful mood.
They establish the hostile mood.
They establish the austere Puritan setting.
They establish the spiritual Puritan setting.

Answer 1

They establish the austere Puritan setting.

Reason: "sad-colored" and plain clothing, "steeple-crowned" hats (religious/congregational imagery), and the harsh "iron spikes" on the door emphasize plainness, severity, and religiously strict surroundings typical of Puritan New England.