When I read fiction novels, it all depends on the characters and plot to determine whether I like the book or not. Although plot interacts with each of the elements of fiction, I find most interesting how the characters evolve over time throughout the story. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, I was interested in how Roger Chillingworth and Artur Dimmesdale changed as an individual and how they changed as they interacted with each other.
Artur Dimmesdale was a captivating minister that has the respect of the townspeople. There was not a speck of suspicion on Minister Dimmesdale to be the man responsible for committing adultery with Hester Prynne. However, as time passes, Dimmesdale begins to physically deteriorate and constantly is seen clutching his heart because his secret sin is eating away at his heart. When he tries to tell the townspeople of his secret sin, they do not believe him because of his much respected status as a minister. Roger Chillingworth comes into town as a physician and is revealed to be Hester’s husband. Chillingworth seems to be gentle with her, but we can see that he is enraged and seeks revenge to find out who Hester’s lover was. Dimmesdale and Chillingworth are put together in the middle of the story due to Dimmesdale’s poor health; Chillingworth suspects something of Dimmesdale as he appears to be hiding a secret. It was interesting to see how Chillingworth devoted so much time in trying to treat Dimmesdale all the while trying to figure out his secret. Eventually Hester reveals to Dimmesdale that Chillingworth is her husband, and she asks Chillingworth to stop prying into Dimmesdale. As the town gathers for the appointing of the new governor, Dimmesdale runs up to the scaffold and asks Hester and Pearl to join him. As he reveals his secret sin, Dimmesdale passes away. Without Dimmesdale, Chillingworth had no more reasons to live because his life for the past few years was based upon finding out who Hester’s lover was. Chillingworth had no one to seek revenge on and also weakens as his “life support” was no longer connected to him. I think the relationship between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale is curious because it seemed like a game of tug of war as Chillingworth tried to “pull” Dimmesdale into revealing his secret, and Dimmesdale avoided answering at whatever cost.