Chillingworth In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter'

Chillingworth is not Chilling In The Scarlet Letter Roger Chillingworth is seen as the main antagonist throughout the whole story. The town’s people think he is the black man from the forest trying to harm their beloved Reverend Dimmesdale. Even Hester, his wife, thinks she sees a change in him that has transformed him into something more wicked. But is he really a sinister doctor or does he just want the love promised to him on his wedding day? In subtle ways through the story he shows his love for his cheating wife, he gives up any chance of being known again, and even proves he cares for Pearl. Even though through most of the book Roger Chillingworth is despised and feared by this Puritan community; it was not always this way. Mr. Chillingworth’s actual name is Mr. Prynne and is married to a beautiful women named Hester Prynne. While they are separated Hester commits the act of adultery and is punished severely by the religious community. Once Roger sees the situation he talks to Hester in her prison cell and says, “I drew thee into my heart, into its innermost chamber…I betrayed thy budding youth into a false unnatural relation with my decay. Therefore,...I seek no vengeance, plot of evil against thee” (Hawthorne, ch. IV). This shows
Roger Chillingworth’s love and affection toward Hester because he refuses to seek revenge about the wrong done to him and blames himself. While having this conversation Roger tells Hester that she must promise to not tell anyone that he is actually Hester’s husband and that his alias in this new land is Roger Chillingworth.
Instead of leaving he stays in order to punish the man that will not admit his sin like brave Hester. But staying in the town comes at a fee: “There are none in this land that know me…. Let,therefore, thy husband be to the world as one already dead, and of whom no tidings shall ever come” (Hawthorn, ch IV). At this point forward that Roger Chillingworth will create himself anew in order to maintain the reputation of wicked just so he can punish the man that needs to receive his own punishment. This man is none other than Reverend
Dimmsdale.
Reverend Dimmesdale is the father of the baby that Hester holds in her arms in the beginning of the story and of the same little girl as she grows throughout the book. This little girl’s name is Pearl. Roger Chillingworth rarely sees her or even speaks to this child but yet he has a special connection to her. Pearl is the product of Hester’s sin. Most men in Roger’s situation may despise and hate this child, but Roger never attacks Pearl or does any harm. But he is also not indifferent to the child. In fact, he cares so much for Pearl that when he passed away in his will he left money to Pearl. Which is an act expected of her actual father. This one act of kindness toward the child might have let him feel something he wanted to feel all of his life, the feeling of having a family.
Roger Chillingworth’s death relieves many townspeople who fear him and his wicked ways. The townspeople, however, never had a chance to see the true Roger Prynne. He loves his wife even after she had lost all love for him. Roger lost his identity in order to bring the justice he thought necessary. And he also loves the daughter he never got to have from a far and watch her grow into a beautiful, free-spirited girl. Roger Chillingworth deserves the sympathy of every reader with an open mind.