Question

read the excerpt relating to reverend john wilson from chapter 3 of the scarlet letter. the voice which had called her attention was that of the revered and famous john wilson, the eldest clergyman of boston, a great scholar, like most of his contemporaries in the profession, and withal a man of kind and genia spirit. this last attribute, however, had been less carefully developed than his intellectual gifts, and was, in truth, rather a matter of shame than self - congratulation with him. what does the excerpt reveal about reverend john wilson? he believes that he is superior and more intellectually gifted than others who practice his profession in the boston area. he believes that a man must make equal use of both his intellect and his emotions to make critical decisions. he believes that men who are not great scholars have little to contribute to the growth of society. he believes that words and actions based on the intellect are superior to those based on emotions.

Explanation:

The text states that Reverend John Wilson's kind - spirited (emotional) side was "less carefully developed than his intellectual gifts" and was a "matter of shame" to him. This implies that he values intellect over emotions.

• Option 1: There is no indication in the text that he thinks he is more intellectually gifted than his contemporaries. The text only says he is a great scholar like most of his contemporaries.
• Option 2: The text shows an imbalance (he developed his intellect more), so the idea of equal use of intellect and emotions is incorrect.
• Option 3: The text does not discuss non - scholars' contribution to society.
• Option 4: Since his emotional side (kind - spirited) was a source of shame compared to his intellectual gifts, it suggests he believes intellect - based words/actions are superior.

Answer:

He believes that words and actions based on the intellect are superior to those based on emotions.