In his novel, Hawthorne shows that while sin which is exposed and confessed, frees the sinner's mind and often brings about a transformation in their life, sin which is concealed and cherished causes ruin and death. Hawthorne uses Hester, the woman suffering public shame and contempt, the sensitive and disturbed minister who hides his participation in the sin withering inside, and the jealous old man, Chillingworth, addicted by the madness of revenge (Londhe 3). In The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne depicts a theme of responding to sin by showing how Hester wears her sin on her bosom, Dimmesdale hides his sin in his heart, and Chillingworth ignores all of his sin; in doing so Hawthorne demonstrates how humans all have sin but some deal with it in
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“Here, she said to herself, had been the scene of her guilt, and her should be the scene of her earthly punishment;” (Hawthorne 55). Clearly Hester feels convicted to stay in the town her sin was committed.
In fact by refusing to leave her town, she later becomes favorable in the town’s eyes. “When the focus returns to Hester in Chapter Thirteen, the gradually more favorable public attitude toward her is attributed to “the blameless purity of her life” throughout her years of repentance” (Stuart).
Here Dr. Stuart points out the public’s favorable attitude on Hester. Throughout the story this popularity grows, and the town even brags about her good deeds to the …show more content…
Chillingworth is unlike both Hester and Dimmesdale. He does not acknowledge his sins of hypocrisy, revenge, and hatred towards Dimmesdale.
Chillingworth chooses to treat Dimmesdale’s physical ailment and in turn befriends him.
“In this manner, the mysterious old Roger Chillingworth became the medical adviser of the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale” (Hawthorne 84). From this passage Chillingworth’s intention were of a good heart, but this changed when he started to suspect Dimmesdale of great sin.
Also one can see that at one point, Chillingworth loved Hester, whichadds to the point of his kind heart. “Chillingworth appears to have genuinely loved Hester, yet his absorption in cerebral matters rendered him a distant husband, ill-suited for the emotional needs of his young spouse” (Matus).
This is interesting, because throughout the story he seems distant from Hester, and the reader could never imagine them being married to each other, clearly Chillingworth’s hunger for revenge has wholly consumed him. Chillingworth’s revenge towards Dimmesdale leads to hatred, which exposes Chillingworth’s sin “As the town doctor, Chillingworth is entrusted with the care of the ailing Arthur Dimmesdale, and he discovers the man’s secret. This pushes Chillingworth over the edge, and he attaches himself like a parasite onto the source of his envy” (Matus). At first Chillingworth is just treating Dimmesdale just as if he
“Here, she said to herself, had been the scene of her guilt, and her should be the scene of her earthly punishment;” (Hawthorne 55). Clearly Hester feels convicted to stay in the town her sin was committed.
In fact by refusing to leave her town, she later becomes favorable in the town’s eyes. “When the focus returns to Hester in Chapter Thirteen, the gradually more favorable public attitude toward her is attributed to “the blameless purity of her life” throughout her years of repentance” (Stuart).
Here Dr. Stuart points out the public’s favorable attitude on Hester. Throughout the story this popularity grows, and the town even brags about her good deeds to the …show more content…
Chillingworth is unlike both Hester and Dimmesdale. He does not acknowledge his sins of hypocrisy, revenge, and hatred towards Dimmesdale.
Chillingworth chooses to treat Dimmesdale’s physical ailment and in turn befriends him.
“In this manner, the mysterious old Roger Chillingworth became the medical adviser of the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale” (Hawthorne 84). From this passage Chillingworth’s intention were of a good heart, but this changed when he started to suspect Dimmesdale of great sin.
Also one can see that at one point, Chillingworth loved Hester, whichadds to the point of his kind heart. “Chillingworth appears to have genuinely loved Hester, yet his absorption in cerebral matters rendered him a distant husband, ill-suited for the emotional needs of his young spouse” (Matus).
This is interesting, because throughout the story he seems distant from Hester, and the reader could never imagine them being married to each other, clearly Chillingworth’s hunger for revenge has wholly consumed him. Chillingworth’s revenge towards Dimmesdale leads to hatred, which exposes Chillingworth’s sin “As the town doctor, Chillingworth is entrusted with the care of the ailing Arthur Dimmesdale, and he discovers the man’s secret. This pushes Chillingworth over the edge, and he attaches himself like a parasite onto the source of his envy” (Matus). At first Chillingworth is just treating Dimmesdale just as if he