Roger Chillingworth Is The Blackest Sinner In The Scarlet Letter

From the very beginnings of the book’s early chapters, Roger Chillingworth has been described very grimly in his overall appearance. From his “strange disarray of civilized and savage costume” to his “slight deformities”, and the description of his unnerving ability to animatedly exaggerate his face into whichever distinct feeling he was experiencing, Roger certainly is a significant character to the telling of The Scarlet Letter. In addition to his many oddities, Chillingworth is compared to the Devil all throughout the novel; witnessing the latter would not be difficult at all, for the man has earned himself nicknames such as “The Black Man” from several other characters in the story. Although Roger Chillingworth participates in evident evil-worthy …show more content…
Hawthorne describes Chillingworth as being the “blackest sinner” out of the entire cast of characters. Many would agree with this powerful statement for Roger’s desire for revenge led him into a deep, inescapable abyss of darkness and evil. Chillingworth’s objective with getting revenge on Hester’s lover consumed him and drove him to the brink of obsession, and ultimately, his demise. Before the incident occurred between Hester and Dimmesdale, Chillingworth was nothing but a lowly scholar who knew nothing but the works he studied, but now, Chillingworth has transformed into a hellish fiend bent on exacting revenge on …show more content…
The comparison between the two is uncanny, for examples are scattered throughout the novel by multiple characters. As Roger first confronts Hester in her cell, the two exchange words, which unveil his plan of revenge, and his first comparison to being “The Black Man.” Hester asks, “Why dost thou smile so at me? Art thou like the Black Man that haunts the forest round about us? Hast thou enticed me into a bond that will prove the ruin of my soul?” Roger’s response to Hester is, “Not thy soul― No not thine!” (pg.63) To note, Chillingworth said his remark with a smile; this could only be a symbol of mischievous wickedness like that of a devil. The value of the reciprocated words between Hester and Chillingworth is that it divulges Chillingworth’s plan of getting revenge on Hester’s unknown lover. Furthermore, Satan is known for provoking people into forming a contract with people in exchange for their souls, and Hester feels as though Chillingworth, or Satan, is here to form a “bond” in exchange for her soul, but in reality, it is Dimmesdale whom Chillingworth is after as stated in his comment “Not thy