Sunday, February 3, 2013
The Pastor and His Parishioner
"...'he whom they call Roger Chillingworth!- he was my husband!' The minister looked at her, for an instant, with all that violence of passion, which- intermixed, in more shapes than one, with his higher, purer, softer qualities- was, in fact, the portion of him which the Devil claimed, and through which he sought to win the rest. Never was there a blacker or a fiercer frown, than Hester now encountered... He sank down on the ground, and buried his face in his hands" (pg.160,161). While reading this, I loved how Nathaniel Hawthorne made the emotions come to life; you could feel the pain, the anger and despair of Dimmesdale. Imagine meeting your mistress in such a intimate setting such as the woods, and come to find out that the man who has been your life support is the husband of her. The man you allowed to come into your home. The man who you thought was your 'friend'... (Yikes X10 is right) As the story continues, Dimmesdale also reveals the hierarchy of sin as he states that Chillingworth's vengeance is worst then adultery. Do you think vengeance is worse then adultery?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Do you think he means it is worse because Chillingworth's intentions have been to cause harm while Hester and Dimmesdale did what they did out of love? So in this case, his vengeance could be considered worse. It becomes complicated when you consider motive, one's values, one's religion...And what might Hawthorne have to say to the reader about it? Does he show one character in a more favorable light? Hmmmm...
ReplyDelete