The significance of Chillingworth's examination of Reverend Dimmesdale
Arthur Dimmesdale
Arthur Dimmesdale is a fictional character in the 1850 romance The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. A Puritan minister, he has fathered an illegitimate child, Pearl, with Hester Prynne and considers himself unable to reveal his sin.
What does Chillingworth see on Dimmesdale's chest?
A few days later, as Dimmesdale sleeps, Chillingworth sneaks up to him and pushes aside his shirt, where he sees something on Dimmesdale's chest that causes him to rejoice. He now knows that Dimmesdale is Hester's partner in adultery and Pearl's father.
What does Dimmesdale's chest symbolize in The Scarlet Letter?
The red mark on Dimmesdale's chest represents adultery in the beginning, guilt in the middle, and pain and death in the end. The stressor that made Dimmesdale feel worse was Hester's first husband Chillingworth.
Why does Dimmesdale have an A on his chest?
Most say they saw on his chest a scarlet letter exactly like Hester's. To their minds, it resulted from Chillingworth's poisonous magic, from the minister's self-torture, or from his inner remorse.
What mark can supposedly be seen on Dimmesdale's chest?
Several versions circulate of what actually transpired in the marketplace. Most people say they saw a scarlet A imprinted on Dimmesdale's chest, but there is conjecture as to its origin.
What does Chillingworth symbolize in The Scarlet Letter?
Ultimately, Chillingworth represents true evil. He is associated with secular and sometimes illicit forms of knowledge, as his chemical experiments and medical practices occasionally verge on witchcraft and murder.
Does Chillingworth poison Dimmesdale?
Just which one came to this conclusion first is a bit uncertain. But both say physician Roger Chillingworth used poison to murder the Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale, the preacher who fathered a child by adulteress Hester Prynne.
Why does Dimmesdale cover his heart?
What is Dimmesdale's idosyncratic gesture? He puts his hand over his heart to "cover" up his guilt and pain for not admitting to the sin he committed. He's trying to hold himself back from not exposing himself.
Why doesn't Hawthorne clearly explain what was on Dimmesdale's chest?
Why doesn't Hawthorne clearly explain what is on Dimmesdale's chest? Hawthorne is vague in his explanation about what is on Dimmesdale's chest, because he wants to leave it open for the readers' own interpretation. Different readers can feel very differently about Dimmesdale and what he has done.
What does Chillingworth do to Dimmesdale in his sleep?
However, a few days later, Chillingworth sneaks up to Dimmesdale while he is asleep and pushes aside the shirt that Dimmesdale is wearing.
What happens to Chillingworth after Dimmesdale dies Why does this happen?
Chillingworth's Legacy One such man known for the 'Devil's work,' Roger Chillingworth, becomes weak and drained after Dimmesdale's death. Now deprived of someone to vent his hatred on, Chillingworth dies shortly after Dimmesdale and leaves a large portion of his estate to Hester Prynne's daughter, Pearl.
Why is Chillingworth upset that Dimmesdale has chosen to expose himself?
Why is Chillingworth upset that Dimmesdale has chosen to expose himself? This allows Dimmesdale to escape Chillingworth's torture. Chillingworth was plotting to kill Dimmesdale on the ship. Dimmesdale does not tell the whole truth about his sins.
What happens when the narrator puts the cloth A on his chest?
Looking through the pile, he notices a manuscript that is bundled with a scarlet, gold-embroidered piece of cloth in the shape of the letter “A.” The narrator examines the scarlet badge and holds it briefly to his chest, but he drops it because it seems to burn him.