Question

Read this excerpt from chapter 1 of The Scarlet Letter.

The founders of a new colony, whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison.

What part of the plot does this excerpt reveal?
It is part of the exposition that describes the importance of the Puritan prison.
It is part of the exposition that describes the happiness of the Puritan settlers.
It is part of the rising action that reveals criminal activity.
It is part of the rising action that reveals the Puritan work ethic.

Answer 1

@umm can help c:

Answer 2

Have you read the material?

Answer 3

Let's try breaking the passage down into individual lines

The founders of a new colony ---> the people who founded (created) the new colony

whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project ---> the founders had the idea of creating a Utopia (perfect place to live) of human virtue and happiness (good qualities)

have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison. ---> the founders thought that they needed to create a cemetary and a prison on the new land.

so, with that in mind, why do you think they needed to create a prison, and why do you think the author writes this in the opening lines of the book? could he possibly be foreshadowing something that happens later?