THE CHILLY SOUL OF ROGER CHILLINGWORTH
After being away from my wife for two years, I finally returned to the settlement where I had
sent her to live. I expected to appear and find a nice, cheerful home awaiting my arrival. Instead,
I returned to the settlement finding my wife standing upon a scaffold in the midst of a great
crowd. She had a baby in her arms and a large scarlet letter “A” embroidered on her blouse.
Everyone was murmuring and whispering as she stood the center of public shame and discipline.
I was a stranger there, and keeping my identity a secret, I enquired of the townspeople the
reasoning for her punishment. They told me that the letter “A” stitched on her blouse stood for
adulterer, and the baby she held belonged to another man. I was enraged in my soul and
determined to uncover the man who had led my wife astray in my absence.
Hester immediately recognized me among the multitude of people. She did not have a hard
time noticing me as I have very distinguished features. My stature and physique are small and
one of my shoulders stands higher than the other. She looked very surprised because she had
thought me dead. Memories of our former life flooded my mind. Soon after our marriage, I sent
Hester on the long journey to the New World with the promise to join her. I was, however,
kidnapped and held captive for over a year by the Indians. From this experience, I learned how to
concoct different kinds of herbs and medicines. When I escaped from the Indians, I went to the
colony where my wife was supposed to be waiting for me. I had loved Hester, but I was very
consumed with other intellectual things during our marriage. I had neglected her and been a
1
2
difficult person to live with. Now hostility grew in my soul and shown forth on my face as I
stared at my unfaithful wife.
I had been deeply wronged and decided the man to blame must be sought after and punished.
Hester refused to name the man, which only kindled my anger more. Humiliated, I changed my
name and gave no acknowledgement to my former life with Hester. I assumed my new identity
as a physician named Roger Chillingworth. I integrated myself with the town’s leadership and
became close friends with the minister, Arthur Dimmesdale. Because the minister was very
feeble and sickly, I was called upon to take care of him. I soon discovered that the minister was
hiding a dark secret. I made it my life’s intent to search his poor soul and drag the horrid thing to
surface. I pried and probed into every aspect of his life and soon found that he was indeed the
man for whom I was looking. I did not seek justice but revenge. Many thought me a physician
and close friend to the minister, but I was really a fiend in disguise. I was supposed to help the
weak minister, but it actually thrilled my heart to see his suffering and to see his health decline.
The minister continued to waste away as a result from the dark secret he was carrying. I could
tell he knew death was soon approaching, but I did not expect him to ever expose his horrible
sin. After his public confession as the father of the sin-cursed child, he passed away. Hester was
no longer under my grip since the last secret was now revealed. The objects of my revenge were
gone and I had nothing else to center my anger upon.
I let bitterness overtake and twist my soul. I spent my life seeking the deliberate destruction of
others. Most would say that my name fit my character; I became deficient in human warmth. I let
the evil intentions of my heart consume my every thought and this ultimately brought my life to
ruin.
3