Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter Summarized by Zach Kozak
Chapter 14 Worksheet
Hester met with Chillingworth while he’s gathering herbs to talk about
Dimmesdale. They discussed the scarlet letter and Dimmesdale.
Chillingworth told Hester the magistrates considered removing the
scarlet letter, and he had given support. However, she replied if the scarlet
letter should be removed, it would do so on its own.
Hester noticed a change which took place over the seven years—not so
much in Chillingworth’s appearance of age but in his intrinsic qualities. He
seemed to have lost intelligence which was replaced by eagerness; he had
become devilish.
While conferring about Dimmesdale, Chillingworth declared he
prolonged Dimmesdale’s life even though it was filled with torture, and he
knew he was encroached by evil; he just didn’t know the source. Hester said
an earlier death would have been better.
In the end, they decided to go their separate ways and to do what they
would.
1. What two things did Hester and Chillingworth discuss?
1.
2.
2. Did Chillingworth give support when the magistrates considered removing
the scarlet letter?
3. What did Hester respond to this?
4. What change in Chillingworth did Hester notice?
5. Chillingworth’s intelligence seemed to have been replaced by what?
6. What did Chillingworth tell Hester about Dimmesdale?
7. What did Hester and Chillingworth decide in the end?