The Scarlet Letter

What metaphors does Hawthorne establish for Chillingworth’s probe? How do they further define Chillingworth’s character?

What metaphors does Hawthorne establish for Chillingworth’s probe? How do they further define Chillingworth’s character?

Asked by
Last updated by jill d #170087
Answers 1
Add Yours

Chillingworth is described as a leech sucking the blood and soul out of the patient, hence the title of the chapter. The metaphor of a minor digging for gold (the truth in this case) while destroying what holds it, "He now dug into the poor clergyman's heart, like a miner searching for gold; or, rather, like a sexton delving into a grave, possibly in quest of a jewel that had been buried on the dead man's bosom, but likely to find nothing save mortality and corruption."

Source(s)

http://www.gradesaver.com/the-scarlet-letter/q-and-a/what-metaphors-does-hawthorne-use-to-describe-chillingworths-probe-how-do-they-further-define-chillingworths-character-92409