Question

Read this excerpt from chapter 2 of The Scarlet Letter using comprehension strategies.

“Goodwives,” said a hard-featured dame of fifty, “I’ll tell ye a piece of my mind. It would be greatly for the public behoof, if we women, being of mature age and church-members in good repute, should have the handling of such malefactresses as this Hester Prynne. What think ye, gossips? If the hussy stood up for judgment before us five, that are now here in a knot together, would she come off with such a sentence as the worshipful magistrates have awarded?”

What is the meaning of this excerpt?
The speaker believes that she and her peers ought to be in charge of assigning sentences in cases like Hester’s.
The speaker believes she and her peers ought to be acknowledged for their good standing in the community.
The speaker believes that the older women of the church ought to be allowed to serve as magistrates.
The speaker believes that the magistrates have been too strict in their handling of Hester’s case.

Answer 1

Correct answer: The speaker believes that she and her peers ought to be in charge of assigning sentences in cases like Hester’s.

Explanation: The woman says mature, respected churchwomen should have “the handling of such malefactresses” and asks whether Hester would “come off with such a sentence as the worshipful magistrates have awarded” if judged by them — implying they should be the ones to decide punishment (and suggesting they would likely be harsher). The other choices misread her point.