The Scarlet Letter Chapters 9-12

       During chapters 9-12 Nathaniel Hawthorne deviates from Hester's perspective and delves into the lives of Chillingworth and Reverend Dimmesdale and their relations with each other. I find this interesting and refreshing since Hawthorne had not previously expanded on the two despite mentioning them throughout the story. Chillingworth is initially viewed as a miracle by the town and is assigned to cure Dimmesdale, but as time goes on Chillingworth starts to torture Dimmesdale and is seen as " Satan himself, or Satan's emissary" (Hawthorne 116). Chillingworth is obsessed with getting revenge on the man who Hester was with and he suspects Dimmesdale. Chillingworth turns from a "calm, meditative, scholar-like"  (Hawthorne 116) into an ugly and evil man due to his desire for vengeance. Dimmesdale on the other hand seems to be sick and suffering from an unknown disease. Unbeknownst to most people, Dimmesdale is suffering from guilt for a secret sin, which implies that he was the man with Hester. He lashes out at himself due to his sin and tries to atone for it by fasting, holding vigils, and whipping himself. His guilt also makes his sermons more appealing to the common people. Chillingworth tries to find out Dimmesdale secrets through conversation. They converse about guilt and " some hideous secret that was buried" (Hawthorne 119). Dimmesdale denies any guilt or sin, but Chillingworth suspects him more. Chillingworth's prodding causes Dimmesdale to become more guilty and tormented. Hawthorne portray's Dimmesdale as guilt, and all the pain it brings, and Chillingworth as vengeance, and all the evil its stirs.

Dimmesdale cried out on the scaffold out of pain and guilt. On the scaffold "Mr. Dimmesdale was overcome with a great horror of mind, as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast, right over his heart" (Hawthorne 134). This quote relates the overwhelming guilt he feels over keeping his sin a secret. The scaffold is the place where Hester was punished and he should have also been, but instead he kept quite about his adultery. He is conflicted on whether to confess to his sins and this outburst shows that it is becoming difficult for him to bear the guilt.

Dimmesdale sees the meteor as a large red A, which he interprets to represent his own guilt for adultery and his  fate when he confesses. The sextant interprets the A " to stand for Angel. For, as our good Governor Winthrop was made an angel this past night" (Hawthorne 144). This shows how the sextant is more optimistic  and unbothered due to the lack of a burden of guilt. The different interpretations show the effects guilt can have on ones out look on life, like in the case of Dimmesdale.

The guilt of secret sinning that Dimmesdale feels is similar to how athletes admit to taking performance enhancing drugs after denying it. On recent and famous case would be Lance Armstrong, who after many years of denying it, finally admitted. These athletes must also feel guilty in cheating their way to victory and keeping quiet about it.