Roger Chillingworth first appeared “drooping down, as it were, out of the sky, or starting from the nether earth…” associated with deformity and mystery. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses diction and mass imagery to portray Chillingworth as a symbol for evil and a devilish figure. Chillingworth lived with Native Americans, from them he gained the knowledge of “miraculous cures”. These "miraculous cures" Hawthorne describes them as witchcraft, advancing the evil characteristic of Chillingworth.
His persona shifts from a “man of skill, the kind and friendly physician” to a man with “something ugly and evil in his face” (85+). The community believes that Chillingworth is in some form of Satan, and they believe Chillingworth was sent to test Dimmesdale’s faith. Chillingworth sparks an interest in the health of the young Reverend Dimmesdale and fulfills a “new purpose”. Chillingworth
People are often scared of monsters when they are young, but once they grow older and mature, they begin to realize that the idea was made up in their heads. However, some people are so set on the theory of there being mythological creatures that they do not think of the possibility of actual people being monsters instead. We like to believe that we live in a world where none of us are sane and our behavior is superb. When in reality, it is the opposite. We do not realize how much hatred, rape, and violence there is in the world.
He comes back to find out she has a child and is not telling anyone who the sinful man is. He swears to her that he will find the man and seek vengeance on him. Roger Chillingworth, once a man of happiness and content, is driven to become a malicious, vindictive man, due to his unquenchable desire to seek vengeance on Hester’s lover, Dimmesdale. Before Roger Chillingworth becomes a malicious man, he is happy and content with his life.
Chillingworth’s guilt results in the degradation of his physical and mental demeanor, which ultimately turns him into a figure of evil. Chillingworth faces a multitude of problems, but the concealed guilt transforms his body and changes his physiognomy for the worse. Originally, Chillingworth is portrayed as an innocent man with great knowledge, but after some time the studious nature that offered Hester a reason to accept his proposal changed, for the, “former aspect of an intellectual and studious man... had altogether [vanish],”(Hawthorne 145), which portrays the first inclination into the physical deformities of Roger Chillingworth after torturing Dimmesdale. What was once an innocent man free of guilt, is now a demonic person with the intent of revenge.
Roger Chillingworth is a character seen as a distorted human being, seemingly one without a soul. This is an effortless conclusion to make without proper analysis. Roger Chillingworth is not as twisted as is often thought, as he does many good things that are overlooked. He is open minded and gains knowledge for the good of others. He does evil deeds, but in a human way that makes him quite conflicting.
Finally, Roger Chillingworth’s birth-given isolation turns him into something monstrous and evil, for his deformity of body unjustly sets him apart from the rest of society. While talking with Hester in her prison cell, Chillingworth admits that he had deluded himself “with the idea that intellectual gifts might veil physical deformity” (71), illustrating the amount of effort he put into trying to achieve acceptance only to have his wife, like the rest of society, simply reject him. Chillingworth’s rejection from society places him in a remote setting in which he develops demonic tendencies and features. For instance, while caring for the minister, a majority of the townspeople notice how the physician obtains “something ugly and evil in his
He moves in with Dimmesdale, and claims he will care for him, but the public cannot see that his intention is to torture Dimmesdale. Hawthorne explains, “The intellect of Roger Chillingworth had now a sufficiently plain path before it. It was not, indeed, precisely that which he had laid out for himself to tread. Calm, gentle, passionless, as he appeared, there was yet, we fear, a quiet depth of malice, hitherto latent, but active now, in this unfortunate old man, which led him to imagine a more intimate revenge than any mortal had ever wreaked upon an enemy” (126). He deliberately chooses to drive Chillingworth into insanity.
Eventually, he comes aware of what he has done and leaves his property to Pearl and Hester. “Nothing was more remarkable than the change which took place, almost immediately after Mr. Dimmesdale’s death, in the appearance and demeanour of the old man known as Roger Chillingworth” (253). It is obvious that Chillingworth develops an understanding of his sins after Dimmesdale’s death which made Chillingworth’s life without a purpose. To conclude, revenge and sin are one of the most disturbing crimes a man can commit; therefore, symbolism, figurative language, and imagery were used to verify the awful character of
Chillingworth pretends to be a doctor and says he will attempt to heal the reverend from his sickness. He never has the intention of healing Arthur because he holds a grudge against him for having a child with his wife. So vengeful is Roger, that he sins against his roommate by purposefully harming him. “Roger Chillingworth’s aspect had undergone a remarkable change while he had dwelt in town…” (Hawthorne 117).
Throughout the story Roger Chillingworth is increasing growing into an eviler version of himself. Since his wife cheated in him and had a child with someone else his only reason for living now is to get revenge on the man that hurt him. Therefore, Chillingworth is becoming the devilish version of himself and plays a specific role in the story, he is more degenerate than Hester and her lover, and at the end of the story he tries to redeem himself by leaving Pearl his fortune. Initially, Chillingworth plays the role of an antagonist.
In Chapter 4, Acts of the Apostles, Warrington, specifies, “The Spirit baptized and fill them, provided guidance, reveals sin, empowers people for service, inspire prophecy, and inspires and supports the proclamations of the Gospel.” God the Father fulfilled his promise to give them the Holy Spirit as a sign of forgiveness. During the first century, Jews and gentiles’ community had idolatry. Warrington, discuss about the Pentecost day when Jews were filled with the pneuma. The Spirit chose who He wants to baptize with the gifts.
(pg.71). A terror is exactly what this lust for revenge makes Roger Chillingworth. As the novel progresses, we watch as he is devoured by his own vengeance and need to tear Dimmesdale
The Monstrous and Malicious Man It is human nature to feel the dire urge to act out revenge on the ones who hurt us, but how far is one willing to go to make someone feel the same sufferable pain? Roger Chillingworth, a doctor, a husband, and a revenge seeking monster who was out to destroy someone who indirectly hurt him. Roger Chillingworth, of The Scarlet Letter, becomes obsessed with avenging the sin between his wife, Hester and the town’s well respected minister, Dimmesdale, that he takes on a Devilish form that reveals his true evil intentions. Roger Chillingworth develops into a monstrous character as the novel goes on, but he was not this way until after hearing the news about his estranged wife. Chillingworth’s first appeared at
260%. That is how much the college tuition costs have increased by since 1980. And it’s still going up, meanwhile all of the things such as consumer items have only gone up 120%. Not only is tuition something that students must stress and worry about, but supplies, textbooks, and other things all add to this inflating cost. While the costs of colleges are skyrocketing higher and higher, the salaries aren’t going up with it.
