DJs 46-50

DJ 46.
Pg 103. "Even thus early had the child saved her from Satan's snare."

The is an example of how Pearl saved Hester from Chillingworth and evil in general. This was one of the first times that Chillingworth looks to torture Hester by suggesting that Pearl should be taken from her. Pearl is the reason that Hester lives and she also saved her from evil in general.

DJ 47.
The Leech

The title of this chapter is interesting because it is all about Chillingworth and leeches were used in medical practice, but also leeches are blood sucker. This related to Chillingworth because he devotes his life to torturing the people who hurt him and sucking the happiness out of them.

DJ 48.
Pg 121. "Had a man seen old Roger Chillingworth, at that moment of his ecstasy, he would have no need to ask how Satan comports himself, when a precious human soul is lost to heaven, and won into his kingdom."

This is the moment that Chillingworth finds out that Dimmesdale the Hester's baby daddy. In this moment, Chillingworth truly devotes his life to evil and give his soul over to the devil. Chillingworth's jealousy and guilt have turned him into an evil guy. He is jealous that his wife cheated on him but he also feel guilty because he left his wife alone for two year which drove her to cheat. At this point, there is no turning back for Chillingworth.

DJ 49.
Pg 125. "...when poor Mr. Dimmesdale was thinking about his grave, he questioned with himself whether the grass would ever grow on it, because an accursed thing must there be buried."

This is an example of Dimmesdale's private guilt and the fact that he can't forgive himself. He can't sleep at night because of his guilt and often thinks of his sins. Because of the guilt and self loathing that he feels, Dimmesdale can never forgive himself and in destroys him from the inside. For this reason private guilt is more harmful then public because Dimmesdale has to keep this struggle to himself which later leads him to his death.

DJ 50.
Pg 130. "And thus, while standing on the scaffold, in this vain show of expiation, 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."

This is where Dimmesdale really starts to loose it. He is so filled with guilt that he as wondered down to the scaffold, where Hester and Pearl were first subjected to public humiliation, and is really feeling the guilt. This fact that he has gone down to the scaffold is interesting because it is the first public place that Hester and Pearl are punished. He feels that he needs to join them, but he can't because he is afraid of the public reaction. He is such a respected community member and he is scared of the back lash he would receive from his peers. That is the main reason he won't confess.