Read this excerpt from chapter 2 of The Scarlet Letter using comprehension strategies. It was no great distance, in those days, from the prison-door to the market-place. Measured by the prisoner's experience, however, it might be reckoned a journey of some length; for, haughty as her demeanour was, she perchance underwent an agony from every footstep of those that thronged to see her, as if her heart had been flung into the street for them all to spurn and trample upon. What is the meaning of this excerpt?
Answer
A
The walk from prison to scaffolding was short, but the onlookers were a violent crowd.
B
The walk from prison to scaffolding was both emotionally and physically painful for Hester.
C
The walk from prison to scaffolding grew farther over the years as the town expanded.
D
The walk from prison to scaffolding seemed a long and treacherous journey to Hester.
Explanation
The excerpt says the distance was short, but from Hester’s point of view it felt like a long journey because she suffered with each step as the crowd watched and judged her. The image of her heart being trampled conveys emotional pain, so “both emotionally and physically painful” is the closest choice, though the passage emphasizes her emotional agony.
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