Ian Coyne
Coyneandbill
The Scarlett Reader
This post focuses on the symbolism of Chillingworth and Dimmesdale’s relationship in ch. 9-12
The Doctor and the Minister
The religious and scientific fields seem to be destined to be at odds, so when I read that Chillingworth was to room with Dimmesdale, I was expecting some sitcom-tier drama between the two. Perhaps Chillingworth would have big, unruly parties (much to the dismay of Dimmesdale) and the two would constantly converse in backhanded, snarky comments about the other’s beliefs. Instead, I found a lot of symbolism expressed through the pair and their interactions with each other. Not quite as exciting, but I’ll take it nonetheless.
First, let’s go over the similarities and differences that make the pairing of the two both unique and appropriate. Both men are decrepit in some way; Chillingworth is old and has bad shoulders while Dimmesdale has a debilitating illness. Both are also champions of their respective fields; Dimmesdale is a renowned preacher while Chillingworth is a renowned doctor. However, the similarities these two men share are also linked to their differences. While both are disabled in some way, Chillingworth’s affliction is passive while Dimmesdale’s affects him every day and he is constantly reminded of it. Also, the fields of study the two men are practiced in are also near polar opposites by definition. Faith focuses on the supernatural and unknown while science focuses on undisputed facts and what is known. Hawthorne presents these two men as two sides of the same coin.
Hawthorne throws a bit of symbolism into the pairing of the two throughout the last few chapters. One such example is the place where they decided to stay: the widow’s house on the cemetery. Not only does this mutual ground represent the neutral meeting place of two opposite ends of the ideological spectrum, it also makes a point on death and mortality. Even though they are opposite in their beliefs, Dimmesdale and Chillingworth are both just human and will eventually die, as shown by the graveyard that sits just outside of the house. This morbid fascination also crops up when the pair are talking in Chillingworth’s lab as they often do. While Dimmesdale gazes out the window into the cemetery, Chillingworth never looks up from his work at his lab. This stark contrast most likely represents the nature of the two men and their beliefs: Dimmesdale focuses on the future, much like how Christianity focuses on the afterlife, while Chillingworth dedicates his efforts to the present, much akin to scientific study of the physical world. The rooms of the two men also add further symbolism to the situation. Dimmesdale’s is draped in tapestries of “the scriptural story of David and Bathsheba, and Nathan the Prophet” (Hawthorne 115), which are biblical stories of adultery, while Chillingworth has a sprawling lab set up his. With these rooms representing their different ideologies, when the two men travel into each other’s rooms it appears to represent the curiosity each side has for the other. Religion questions itself with the facts of the world while science wonders if some things truly can’t be explained.
Though I may not have gotten the scenario I hoped for, it was enjoyable fining all the little details that deepen the relationship between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale.
SOURCES
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Leech and his Patient.” The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam Dell, 2003. 67. Print.
The Scarlet Reader 