“Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him; for, believe me, Hester, though he were to step down from a high place, and stand there beside thee, on thy pedestal of shame, yet better were it so, than hide a guilty heart through life.” (63)
Why will Hester not acknowledge the person who engaged in the sin with her? Reverend Dimmesdale believes being silent will not benefit the sinner. He insists the man is too fearful to come forth and admit his own sins. Therefore, she must confess for him. If she confesses for the man, he will have nothing to hide, and she will be helping him. If she is suffering, so should the man. Even if no one knows who the father is, he will live with a guilty heart. Hester tries to protect the reputation of her accomplice. Similarly, Proctor tried to protect the reputation of the townspeople, “Did you ever see anyone with the devil?” “No, I did not” (140).
Even if I imagine a scheme of vengeance, what could I do better for my object than to let thee live,-than to give thee medicines against all harm and peril of life- so that this burning shame may blaze upon thy bosom? (68)
Roger Chillingworth’s view of Hester contrasted the view most townspeople had of her. He is not seeking revenge on Hester; instead he wants to help her. He feels sympathy for her, and given the chance, he would free her from all the trouble she faces. In Salem, all the people sought vengeance, “All tell you what’s walking Salem-vengeance is walking Salem” (77). They wanted everyone to suffer. Even if Chillingforth wanted vegeance, killing her would not help him.
Questions:
Why does Chillingworth want to live and die unknown?
Does Roger Chillingworth really want to help Hester?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment