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Comparing Characters in The Scarlet Letter

 

             In this novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne has made two characters that are hiding something, a sin. Hawthorne makes great descriptions of what the characters are feeling and how it is reflecting on their physical appearance's. Chillingworth is one of the characters and the other is Dimmesdale.
             Chillingworth is Hester's husband who was captured by Indians for two years. While he was gone, his wife Hester, had an affair with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. When he returns, Hester sees Chillingworth in the crown while she is on the scaffold. He meets up with her later and tells her not to tell anyone who he is. The town thinks that he is a doctor. Dimmesdale is a young reverend who had an affair with Hester. He is an intelligent and emotional man. He preaches to a congregation about his feelings of sinfulness and need to confess. .
             Hawthorne describes Chillingworth as twisted, stooped, with deformed shoulders. Also, he has a distorted soul. He was also described as a difficult husband to Hester. Hawthorne gives him the nickname of a "leach." He torments Dimmesdale throughout the entire story. Dimmesdale is described as a rich, young clergyman who achieved fame in England. He was also described as a week person who holds in everything.
             Dimmesdale's sin was very bad. He was the one who accused Hester of adultery and made her where the letter "A." Dimmesdale was the one she had an affair with. By not telling anyone about this, he begins to change emotionally and physically. The emotional change is that he cries all the time and through his guilt, he puts himself through immense physical pain. He starts to go through physical changes because of the guilt built inside of him. He begins to look older and his face starts to change and wrinkle.
             Chillingworth has also sinned. When he gets back from being captured by the Indians, he finds Hester on the Scaffold being put on display as an adulterer. After he sees this, he wants revenge.


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