The Blithedale Romance
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
About_
The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne follows the poet Coverdale as he joins a utopian farming
community and becomes entangled in the lives of the commanding Zenobia, the zealous reformer Hollingsworth,
and the fragile Priscilla. Narrated with irony and uncertainty, the novel explores idealism, gender, and the hidden
motives beneath a community built on brotherhood and shared purpose. This study guide moves through the
novel in five sections, testing comprehension while pushing students to weigh Coverdale’s reliability as a narrator
and the fates of the three central characters. This study guide contains 65 questions across 5 chapter sections (50
Factual + 15 Critical), 1 Crossword Puzzle (12 clues), and 1 Character Focus Activity.
What’s Included_
This study guide features 5 sets of 10 Factual Questions with an answer key (50 total), 5 sets of 3 Critical Analysis
Questions (15 total), 1 Crossword Puzzle (12 clues), and 1 Character Focus Activity (8 traits + evidence prompt +
critical thinking question).
Target Grades_
Grades 11-12 (AP/Honors Literature)
Teacher Note_
Hawthorne’s dense prose and unreliable narrator make Blithedale a rewarding but demanding text, and this guide
is designed to keep students grounded in the plot while opening the door to richer discussion of gender, idealism,
and self-deception. The factual checks build a solid foundation, while the critical questions invite the kind of
debate this novel is built for. Hopefully it lightens your prep load and helps your students engage more confidently
with a genuinely tricky text.