Roger Chillingworth In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter

Ryan Vo

Mrs. Lanz

Period 0

November 22 2014

The Scarlet Letter

Vengeance--a rotten desire in a “pure” society as the Puritans. A story Hester Prynne and her terrible sin. Nathaniel Hawthorne cryptically portrays Roger Chillingworth as a good man, but gradually unravels the dark truth displaying the aberration of the Puritan society In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s dark and ominous tone provokes readers to view both the positive and negative characteristics of Roger Chillingworth through Hester’s scandal through the use of graceful imagery yet shameful symbolism.

Hawthorne’s articulate imagery educes his audience conjure the idea of a cheerless and punitive society. The story instantly begins with Hawthorne, speculating in detail,

describes, “A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored and gray, steeple-crowned hats intermixed with women, some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded, was assembled front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak and studded spikes.” (Hawthorne 45) Already he creates a completely somber mood painting a cheerless and still picture--hinting the punitive ways of the society. Yet through the obscurity, one note of color relieves the gloom. Hawthorne adds, “This rosebush, by a strange chance, has been kept alive in history, “suggesting through the vibrance of crime comes tolerance and pity (46). Both the prison door and its polar opposite, the rosebush, ultimately represents the blossoming of morality that is the product of sinning--mistakes in general. Hawthorne firmly justifies the Puritan society follows a punitive lifestyle through desperation of truth.
Appealing to pathos, Hawthorne juxtaposes Chillingworth’s personality from calm to that of Satan, causing readers’ original perspective of Chillingworth to question itself.

Chillingworth throughout the half the story portrays a humble and discreet image, though his status skews and falls awry short after the discovery if his true intentions. Hawthorne reveals, “Old Roger Chillingworth, throughout life, had been calm in temperament, kindly, though not of warm affections, but ever, and all his relations with the world, a pure and upright man.” (121). Chapter 10 named The Leech and His Patient implicates Roger Chillingworth to be not the victim, but the perpetrator; Chillingworth being the perpetrator and Dimmesdale as the victim. Soon after the short reminder of Chillingworth’s calm character, Hawthorne immediately creates disagreement with his audience as Dimmesdale questions Chillingworth, “Where, my kind doctor, did you gather those herbs, with such a dark, flabby leaf?” (123) Only to have Chillingworth bite back with, “Even in the graveyard here at hand, they are new to me...They grew out of his heart, and typify, it may be, some hideous secret that was buried with him.” (123) Meaning Dimmesdale, despite being an ordained Puritan minister, holds a deep dark illicit secret willing to die for. Hawthorne’s portrayal of Chillingworth becomes that of Satan, rejoicing to revenge and desire for damnation. The finalization of Chillingworth begins when Hester discovers his true

intentions. Chillingworth caves and blurts, "Yea, indeed!--he did not err!--there was a fiend at his elbow! A mortal man, with once a human heart, has become a fiend for his especial torment!" (162-163) Similarly to MacBeth, Chillingworth evil consumes him causing his downfall. Hawthorne’s audience experiences resentment for Chillingworth due to his objective to seek “justice.” Polarizing viewpoints over Chillingworth emphasizes the flaws of the the Puritan’s system.The audience finally receives the truth and justice as Hawthorne reveals Chillingworth’s true desire.
In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s dark and ominous tone provokes readers to view both the positive and negative characteristics of Roger Chillingworth through Hester’s scandal through the use of graceful imagery yet shameful symbolism. The portrayal of Chillingworth impressed readers, though fell into a state of decadence as Chillingworth slowly unveils his true identity. However, Chillingworth names Pearl as his heir. Chillingworth’s final moments question readers to scrutinize the man they thought Chillingworth once was. Through the schemes and trouble he went through, why would he do a favor for Pearl?