Chillingworth In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter

Words: 507
Pages: 3
Open Document
The Scarlet Letter Tone Timed Writing

In the novel “The Scarlet Letter” Chillingworth is Hester's husband long lost at sea and thought dead. When he returns back to Boston he realises Hester, his wife, had been unfaithful to him and has a daughter which is later revealed as the minister. Chillingworth is associated with a negative tone because of his physical appearance, comparisons to "The Black Man", and his representation in the film with dark music.

Throughout the novel Hawthorne associates Chillingworth with negative words and phrases, he is called “The Black Man”, and is compared to the devil himself. His appearance as stated in the novel is ugly and deformed. Hawthorne associates his appearance to his revengeful intentions which consume his thoughts. He makes Chillingworth the antagonist of the story. In the novel it says he torments Dimmesdale and creeps into his room, puts his hand on Dimmesdale's heart and laughs. He is said to be filled with joy because the ministers soul is lost to the black man. Even Pearl calls Chillingworth the black man and is afraid of him. Hawthorne’s contemptuous and murderous tone towards Chillingworth helps the reader …show more content…
He resembled and provided a visual appearance to associate with Chillingworth. He is old and ugly with a cruel and tormenting aura that displays his motives. The director made him appear beaten down and angry, he also made him devilish with a creepy sly look. Another cinematic choice was the music played when Chillingworth got mad or made an entrance. In a movie it is very difficult to show the audience the tone of a character, where as in a book the author can jump back and forth and tell you how the author feels about that character through their word choice and narrations. The music helps show the audience that he is the antagonist with evil intentions and foreshadows his
Show More

Related Documents: Chillingworth In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter

Chillingworth And Chillingworth In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter

as the main priority. Chillingworth and Hester were scarcely in a state of assent, as Hester’s and Chillingworth’s main goals were in a state of complete disagreement. The 17th-century Puritan town in The Scarlet Letter saw Reverend Dimmesdale as a God-sent benefactor, and he was greatly revered. Chillingworth speech to the townspeople was generally chivalrous and helped disguise his true motives well, at first. Unfortunately for Reverend Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth will probably show him…

Words 411 - Pages 2

Chillingworth In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

Who committed the greatest sin? Roger Chillingworth committed the worst sin of them all. Even Hester and Dimmesdale’s sin could not compare to Chillingworth’s. Chillingworth sold his soul to the Black Man and destroyed another soul for his on revenge. Roger Chillingworth sold his soul to the Black Man. Many times throughout the Scarlet Letter Hawthorne refers to the Black Man and Chillingworth together. Pearl even calls Chillingworth the Black Man upon seeing him, “Come away, Mother! Come away…

Words 454 - Pages 2

Hawthorne and the Scarlet Letter Essay

Joshua Benlevy Ms. Benton AP English Language 5/21/13 Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter Many author’s works reflect their life. They reflect all their happiness and pain, their joy and sorrow into their books. This makes their novel disguised autobiographies. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s book The Scarlet Letter reflects much of his own life and what happened to him as a child. Hawthorne’s life was not an easy one. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s father died when he was a child of yellow fever. His widowed…

Words 484 - Pages 2

Pride, Guilt, And Isolation In The Scarlet Letter

In “The Scarlet Letter,” Nathaniel Hawthorne uses his three main themes, pride, guilt, and isolation. Roger Chillingworth is a great example of isolation. Chillingworth goes on the prowl for the man who he feels wronged him; the man who stole his property. His vengefulness is all-consuming. It colors every second of every day. He, much like Dimmesdale, becomes a hypocrite, pretending to be one thing-in this case, pretending to be Dimmesdale's friend and physician throughout the book-while in actuality…

Words 365 - Pages 2

Guilt In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

The author of The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne, had many ancestors who were Puritans. His Grandfather William Hathorne, a judge, prosecuted a woman accused of adultery. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter about this time period when society’s views were conservative and primarily church based. Hawthorne expressed his guilt and shame for his ancestor’s deeds throughout the novel. He used his characters to convey how guilt and its long-lasting effects are common amongst the human race…

Words 727 - Pages 3

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter: Response

The Scarlet Letter: Response 3 Nathaniel Hawthorne’s initial descriptions of Hester Prynne and her ex-husband provide a detailed outlook on their contrasting characters, both physical and moral. In chapter 2, titled “The Market-Place,” Hester is given a nearly divine appearance despite her infamous reputation. In contrast, her former husband, later referred to as Roger Chillingworth, appears rather deformed and is described in a devilish manner. Hawthorne’s portrayals show the strikingly different…

Words 575 - Pages 3

Scarlet Letter Revenge Quotes

all walks of life coming into contact with this bitter occurrence. Many literary works have used revenge as a theme, and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter is to great effect. Nearly every character in the story is afflicted with revenge in some way, whether they are talking revenge on someone or something is taking revenge on them. Roger Chillingworth is Hawthorne’s example of revenge backfiring. For example, upon discovering that Dimmesdale was guilty of adultery with Hester, Chillingworth’s…

Words 487 - Pages 2

Scarlet Letter Power Of Love

Nihal Kamath H-Block In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, he formulates a compelling argument for the power of love. Several times throughout the novel, the narrator states that “[we] love more readily than [we] hate”, and that “hatred will even be transformed into love.” While this does occur in the novel, love also serves another purpose in the novel: helping the reader understand the identities of certain characters. The actions and treatment of certain characters towards others helps…

Words 644 - Pages 3

Essay about Scarlet Letter

Puritanical Vengeance Revenge is a thematic motif found in the puritanical works The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller. While Roger Chillingworth in The Scarlet Letter seeks vengeance against Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale for their adulterous actions, Abigail Williams in The Crucible likewise seeks revenge against Goody Proctor for the pursuit of her husband, John Proctor. However, revenge in both novels proves to be a double edged sword, for not only…

Words 762 - Pages 4

Nathaniel Hawthorne's Attitudes Toward Puritans

Nathaniel Hawthorne family history contributed to his attitude toward the Puritans because his ancestors were descent of businessmen, judges, and seamen, from Salem, Massachusetts; all Puritans. Hawthorne’s great great grandfather, John Hathorne, was a judge during the Salem witch trials. During the trials, John was the only judge who never repented any of his actions. Due to his grandfather’s actions who oversaw the trials, Nathaniel later added the “W” in his last name in order to hide his relation…

Words 978 - Pages 4