How Did Chillingworth's Change In Chapter 14

Initially, in Chapter 14, Hester has a sense of pity towards Roger Chillingworth, where she notices how the physician has changed from being a shy, light-hearted man to this so called, “spawn of the devil”, where he now has a darker, more evil demeanor to him now. This is shown in the novel where Hawthorne states, “All this while, Hester had been looking steadily at the old man, and was shocked, as well as wonder-smitten, to discern what a change had been wrought upon him within the past seven years.It was not so much that he had grown older; for though the traces of advancing life were visible, he bore his age well, and seemed to retain a wiry vigor and alertness. But the former aspect of an intellectual and studious man, calm and quiet,

This can portray Hester’s initial inspection on Chillingworth, which she saw a sudden change which was for the worst on Roger Chillingworth, making her pity him. In addition, Hester also noticed an evil toll on Chillingworth where the narrator states, “In a word, old Roger Chillingworth was a striking evidence of a man’s faculty of transforming himself into a Devil, if he will only, for a reasonable space of time, undertake a Devil’s office. This unhappy person had effected such a transformation by devoting himself, for seven years, to the constant analysis of a heart full of torture, and deriving his enjoyment thence, and adding fuel to those fiery tortures which he analyzed and gloated over” (163). This shows Chillingworth’s change, even radiating evil vibes gave Hester a sense of sadness for this man, since he is now a representative of evil and just a mere shell of what his old soul used to inhabit. On top of this, there is also context of how Hester had felt so sad for the physician, that she felt like crying

‘But let it pass! It is of yonder miserable man that I would speak’” (164). This statement shows how while Hester can cry for Chillingworth because of how much she pities him, but this eventually changes, where after their conversation, Hester grows this sudden hatred toward Chillingworth, when Hester literally states, “‘Be it sin or no’ said Hester Prynne, bitterly, as she still gazed after him, ‘I hate the man!’...’Yes, I hate him!’ repeated Hester, more bitterly than before. ‘He betrayed me! He has done me worse wrong than I did him!’” (169). This can emphasize Hester’s transition from pity to sudden hatred towards this man whom she once had happy, positive times with. Lastly, Hester states how she even blamed herself for doing this “crime” to even marry the man, seeing herself at fault for having such a relationship with the man she repented being with the most in life. This is portrayed where Hawthorne states, “She marvelled how such scenes could have been! She marvelled how she could never been wrought upon to marry him! She deemed it her crime most to be repented of , that she had ever endured, and reciprocated, the lukewarm grasp of his hand, and had suffered the smile of her lips and eyes to mingle and melt into his