Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, the character Roger Chillingworth is clearly the epitome of sin. In this regard, Chillingworth is more sinful than the other characters in the novel--notably Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester and Dimmesdale have had a secret, adulterous relationship with one another, and Dimmesdale further sins by trying to conceal his shame and guilt. However, the sins of Chillingworth are far more serious, because, unlike either Hester or Dimmesdale, he is incapable of love and is therefore driven to hate. His hatred causes him to commit the harshest sin of The Scarlet Letter, that of seeking revenge against Dimmesdale. The minister Dimmesdale deeply regrets his sin, even though he is afraid to confess it in public. Hester's sin is less severe in view of the fact that she is a victim of both her society and her obsessive ex-husband Chillingworth.

Chillingworth himself, however, intentionally commits the sin of seeking revenge against his fellow man. In addition, Chillingworth hides his feelings of anger and hatred in order to plot his revenge, thereby committing the further sin of deceit. As noted by the critic Daniel G. Hoffman, "neither the minister, on his way toward repentance, nor Hester, on hers toward stoical resignation and reintegration with society, can avail themselves of such slippery tricks" (349). In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne makes it clear that Chillingworth's sin is worse than either Dimmesdale's

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s vengeful plan. In fact, Chillingworth's face becomes so ugly and evil in appearance that the people begin thinking that Dimmesdale may be "haunted either by Satan himself, or Satan's emissary, in the guise of old Roger Chillingworth" (88). In a crucial scene, Chillingworth steals a peek at Dimmesdale's bare chest while the latter is sleeping. Presumably, the impression of the letter "A" is visible on Dimmesdale's chest, which convinces Chillingworth that he is on the right track in persecuting the minister. Hawthorne again describes Chillingworth in terms relating to sinfulness: "Had a man seen old Roger Chillingworth, at that moment of his ecstasy, he would have had no need to ask how Satan comports himself, when a precious human soul is lost to heaven, and won into his kingdom" (96) . Hester also notices the changes that take place in Chillingworth's personality as he becomes increasingly obsessed with his plot for revenge. During their secret meeting in the woods, Hester is shocked to see the changes that Chillingworth has experienced over time--he has not become older so much as he has acquired a sense of evil or "blackness." She can even see the sin which is raging within his heart, through the red glare of light wh

Category: Literature - H