What Does Chillingworth Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter

Words: 407
Pages: 2
Open Document
The Scarlet Letter is a work of historical fiction that contains multiple themes and lessons. Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author of The Scarlet Letter, also included multiple symbols within his writing. An important symbol in the book is Darkness. Darkness is normally associated with destruction, sin and the devil. Throughout the book, many of the characters become enshrouded in darkness or fall into the darkness of sin, but not as much as the character Roger Chillingworth. The reader is first introduced to Chillingworth in the marketplace scene, Hawthorne described him as being “. . .small in stature. . . aged. . . [and] a remarkable intelligence in his features. . .”(page 13). Also one of his shoulders appears to be higher than the other (page …show more content…
It is revealed to the reader that Chillingworth is Hester's husband, and that Hester committed adultery with an unknown man. Chillingworth becomes upset and wants to wreak vengeance upon the unknown man, who wronged him. Vengeance is a hard sin to atone for, especially for the way Chillingworth goes about his own. As the book progresses Chillingworth progressively becomes darker in his physical and psychological features. The man is still unknown to the reader, at this point but, Chillingworth knows it is Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester’s minister. Over time, Chillingworth gets closer to Dimmesdale, as his physician, and slowly tortures Dimmesdale, unknowingly, about his secret sin. After a couple years Hester sees Chillingworth again and describes him as being uglier, darker and his already misshapen figure had become worse (page 63). Farther into the story, Hawthorne states that “. . . [Chillingworth has been] devoting himself, for seven years, to the constant analysis of a heart full of torture, and deriving his enjoyment thence. . .”(page 122-123). Darkness is enshrouding Chillingworth and is causing him to slowly destroy Dimmesdale from the inside out and is enjoying
Show More

Related Documents: What Does Chillingworth Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter

The Color Red In The Scarlet Letter

Allison Beranek Mrs. Moeller English 11 18 March 2016 Color and name symbolism In The Scarlet Letter, the author Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes many colors and names to symbolize moods. In The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne uses the color black to symbolize evil and sin. Hawthorne uses black to show the pain that Arthur Dimmesdale endured because of the sin that he had committed. Hawthorne also uses the color black to show a similarity between the black man and sin. The black man in the forest represents…

Words 682 - Pages 3

scarlet letter Essay

The Scarlet Letter LIT 331 Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote a true American novel that dove into the complexities of Puritan and early American society; it was called The Scarlet Letter. In this novel it discussed the hard times of Hester Prynne, the main character as well as her secret lover Reverend Dimmesdale. The novel addresses their trials and tribulations of their love affair, their child Pearl and multiple symbols used to discuss identity of one’s self, along with the…

Words 1403 - Pages 6

Adversity In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

“Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% is how I react to it”. Everyone must undergo a positive or negative suffering when faced with difficult circumstances. A person can’t control what happens to them; however, it depends on how a person responds to it. Maybe it’s a surprise, like knowing something new about a person. Sometimes it’s negative, like finding out your best friend lying to you. It all depends on how one perceives a situation. One’s reaction to an event may affect his or her life. Hester…

Words 1440 - Pages 6

Essay about Doctor: The Scarlet Letter and Color Symbolism

Scarlet Letter Essay The director of the 1979 version of the scarlet letter used Hawthorne’s words in many ways throughout the film and while there were lots of different ways that this was achieved but the three main ways that I noticed were with color symbolism, and the different amounts of shade and light. The color symbolism used throughout the film were really important in getting Hawthorne’s point across as it helped to portray different characters emotions and actions without them going…

Words 463 - Pages 2

Book Report Essay

Michaela Williams Mr. Juhasz English IV AP 23 Feb. 2014 The Scarlet Letter Book Report Plot Summary The book, The Scarlet Letter, starts with a 34 page introduction to the origin of how the novel came to be. The narrator, who stays anonymous, was an examiner of the Custom House in Salem, Massachusetts, the city in which the story is set. The narrator states, “But one idle and rainy day, it was my fortune to make a discovery of some little interest.” He had started to go through many of the many collected…

Words 1782 - Pages 8

Scarlet Letter Greed Quotes

you could commit, if committed the sinner is supposedly damned. They have been used throughout more recent history to tell the difference between good and evil. In the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne they are used to show the downfall of the characters. Envy can be characterized by the green monster, an ugly thing that wants what others have. Gluttony is known for its relevance to food, where someone eats and eats, yet it is just like Greed. Greed is most repeatedly thought of as the thirst for…

Words 651 - Pages 3

Scarlet Letter Essays

The Scarlet Letter Essay Throughout the story, three main characters were analyzed. These characters were Hester, Chillingworth and Dimmesdale. The way in which Hawthorne had written The Scarlet Letter, was through using symbolic nature to personify what the character actually represented. He made sure to add intricate details throughout the story, describing every aspect of the character. From personality to looks to actions and anything that made up the character, was shown with the smallest…

Words 1053 - Pages 5

Essay on Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter 1 Hawthorne uses the setting in Chapter one to set the mood for the story in two ways. The first is that the prison embodies the unyielding severity of puritan law: old, rusted, yet strong with an "iron-clamped oaken door." Puritan law is coated, in this account, in the rust of tradition and obsolete purpose. But despite the evolution of its modern society, the laws have not kept up. As a result, the door remains tightly shut and iron-clamped presenting a judgmental and condemning…

Words 3876 - Pages 16

Symbolism Of Pearl In Scarlet Letter

“Child, what art thou?” (146). So speaks Hester, the main character of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, to Pearl, one of the most complex characters of the novel. Some believe that Pearl is a mystery because she has a very fickle personality and is emotionally unpredictable. For example, at times, she loves to irrationally torture her mother, but at other times, she cares for her mother and seeks to defend her from Chillingworth, such as when she says, “ Come away, mother! Come away, or…

Words 1755 - Pages 8

The Rose-Bush In The Scarlet Letter

the village prison: a heavily timbered oak door, studded with iron spikes. Why would an author associate something so harsh with something so beautiful? The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne reveals the significance of many important symbols throughout the novel. The rose-bush by the prison door, Pearl, and Dimmesdale’s scarlet letter are three of the most concealed and essential symbols in the book. In the very beginning of the story, Hawthorne describes the prison door that Hester, the main…

Words 954 - Pages 4