Transformation-Chillingsworth-The Scarlet Letter

4 Pages 909 Words

The Scarlet Letter’s characters made major transformations during the development of events. Chillingsworth made major transformations during the occurrence of the events. His pride was broken and consumed himself in seeking vengeance. Chillingsworth was away for four years and when he returned he found his wife, Hester, standing on a scaffold carrying a child. Chillingsworth says, “I pray you, good Sir, who is this woman? ---- And wherefore is she here set up to public shame?” The stranger then replies to Chillingsworth, “You must needs be a stranger in this region, friend, else you would surely have heard of Mistress Hester Prynne, and her evil doings. She hath raised a great scandal, I promise you, in godly Master Dimmesdale’s church.” It was at this moment when his life became an obsessive quest for vengeance.
Before Chillingsworth left Boston he was a cheerful wise man with an undoubtedly beautiful wife. Hester thinking to herself says, “But the former aspect of an intellectual and studious man, calm and quiet, which was as she best remembered in him, had altogether vanished, and been succeeded by an eager, searching, almost fierce, yet carefully guarded look.” Hester recognized that he had changed from what he had originally been. She acknowledged that Chillingsworth once was a happy, calm and quiet person and remembered Roger Chillingsworth as happy. Thinking to herself again she says, “Such scenes had once appeared not otherwise than happy, but now, as viewed through the dismal medium of her subsequent life, the y classed themselves among her ugliest remembrances.” She remembered scenes of when they were happy.
However, the happy Chillingsworth she knew before he had left changed as soon as he saw her on the scaffold wearing the Scarlet “A” carrying the child. Hester realizes that she is somewhat at fault for Chillingsworth’s hurt and obsession for vengeance. Hester says, “The Scarlet Letter bu...