The meeting between Chillingworth and Hester is a pivotal
introductory scene in that the reader learns that the two were, and still are, married,
and that the child is obviously not his. Chillingworth is a doctor called to tend to
Hester and her child, and at first Hester fears he plans to harm her and her child.
Chillingworth has far worse ideas in mind, and the conversation soon turns to other
areas.
They begin by discussing the demise of their
relationship. Chillingworth admits to being an emotionally and physically absent
husband and Hester admits to marrying him without
love:
Nay,
from the moment when we came down the old church-steps together, a married pair, I might
have beheld the bale-fire of that scarlet letter blazing at the end of our
path!"
Chillingworth, as the
scorned husband, demands to know the identity of Pearl's father. Hester refuses, as
she did on the scaffold. Chillingworth vows to discover his identity and take
revenge:
I
shall see him tremble. I shall feel myself shudder, suddenly and unawares. Sooner or
later, he must needs be
mine!”
This conflict sets up
the action for the remainder of the novel and foreshadow's Dimmesdale's
demise.
No comments:
Post a Comment