Chapter 11: Th e Interior of Heart

1. A Chapter 11: The Interior of Heart Characters: Chillingworth, and Dimmesdale. Plot: as time has gone by Chillingworth’s and Dimmesdale’s relationship does seem the same but Chillingworth really is secretly plotting against Dimmesdale any evil that he could. He wants to torture Dimmesdale all that he could. Chillingworth is no longer the same person as he used to be, calm and cool, but now he is eviler, more like the devil. He imagines a “more intimate revenge than any mortal had wreaked upon an enemy” for Dimmesdale that’s how evil he has gotten. Dimmesdale grows sicker and sicker, he has a bodily disease and torture from his soul but still holds a popularity within his office and the people of Boston. Dimmesdale expresses his truths to the people that he is a sinner but he still see him as a hero no matter what he says to them. Dimmesdale would think of his grave and wonder if grass will even grow on it because of all that he has done. He would go to the pulpit about a hundred times to confess his sin but he would just tell them he had done a sin not the actual sin and they would always still consider him a hero. He would torture himself as a punishment for his guilt to try and make himself feel better about what he has done. He would whip himself while laughing at himself, he would fast to try and “purify” his body until his knees trembled beneath him and he kept vigils no matter what he did he could never purify himself because he always still contained that guilt inside of him. As he would stare he would start to become delusional he would see Hester and Pearl and Pearl would point to Hester's bosom at the “A” and then to Dimmesdale's chest. Setting: Boston Major Theme: guilt (present in Dimmesdale) revenge (present in Chillingworth) Treatment of women: women aren’t as much present in this chapter but you could pick up from how Dimmesdale mentions that Pearl points to Hester’s bosom how it affects him but he doesn’t mention anything of what this is doing to Pearl or Hester. Showing that he completely disregards them or their feelings maybe because they are women. Hester is still seen as an adulteress. Literary devices :irony, metaphor, personification. Tone: objective, revengeful, informative

2. Chapter 12: The Minister’s Vigil Plot: Dimmesdale went upon the scaffold that Hester and Pearl stood on for their punishment. He did this in may at midnight so there is hardly anyone around to see him. The governor died this night and a lot of people are at his death bed. Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold and his guilt is making him worse and worse, he yells out and he thought that was it soon everyone would come out and find him but they didn’t. later on Reverend Wilson passed by and a while later Hester and Pearl passed by also. He called to Hester and Pearl and he held their hand on the scaffold. Pearl asked Dimmesdale if he would stand with then tomorrow on the scaffold he said no but he will another day. Pearl was not happy with his response. When they held hands a big letter a lit up in the sky. Chillingworth came by later and Dimmesdale told Hester that he doesn’t like him and he scares him, Pearl told Dimmesdale she would tell him who he is and then she mumbled gibberish in his ear because he told her he wouldn’t stand on the scaffold with them tomorrow. Dimmesdale left his glove on the scaffold and the next day it was returned to him and everyone thought that the devil must have placed it there. Characters: Hester, Pearl, Dimmesdale, Reverend Wilson, Chillingworth Mistress Hibbins Governor Bellingham. Setting: Boston, on the scaffold, May, 12:00 a.m. Majortheme: guilt, karma, irony, revenge Literarydevices: foreshadowing ,irony Treatment of women: fairly, not treated any differently than the men. Tone: objective, narrative.