Stop Blaming Hester

Poor Hester. For the past 7 years she has had lacked any substantial support. More than that, Hester is attached to so many secrets which she must keep (for the benefit of others) and are surely tearing her apart.

1.      Dimmesdale is Pearl’s father

2.      Chillingworth was her husband

3.      She won’t reveal to Pearl the true meaning of the “A”

Chillingworth and Dimmesdale appear to be hiding behind a façade, and basically Hester must deal with the real, emotional sides of the boys since she is still the only one in the circle of trust.

In Chapter 14, we see a conversation or argument between Chillingworth and Hester. I would just like to reiterate how creepy Chillingworth is, especially in Hester’s description:

“You tread behind his every footstep. You are beside him, sleeping and walking. You search his thoughts. You burrow and rankle in his heart! Your clutch is on his life, and you cause him to die daily a living death; and still he knows you not.”

(Chillingworth ^^)

First, how ironic is it that Chillingworth is a physician and he is ultimately “causing [Dimmesdale] to die a living death.” Other than that, this paragraph makes Chillingworth sound obsessed with Dimmesdale. 

In addition, Chillingworth says, “And what am I now?...I have already told thee what I am! A fiend! Who made me so?” Hester takes the blame for Chillingworth’s creepy new personality, just as she takes the blame for everything else.

For example, Dimmesdale often leaves Hester to clean up the mess, even if he was part of the destruction. Hester is the one with the ignominy. She must raise a child all on her own. She even has to console Dimmesdale. At the end of Chapter 17, Dimmesdale says, “I must die here! There is not the strength or courage left me to venture into the wide, strange, difficult world, alone!” As if Dimmesdale is the one alone—he should try being Hester for a day.

And finally, a found poem

To Chillingworth:

I pity thee, Roger Chillingworth

With your ghastly emptiness

And no good mercy

You are a dismal maze

And good that has been wasted.

Thou hast been deeply wronged,

Yet there will never be peace

or faith, long forgotten, from you.

Forgive.

But you won’t.

We all suffer,

Still thy first step awry you planted the germ of evil

It was a dark necessity.

You are fiend-like.