These lines also foreshadow the manifestation of Dimmesdale's sin that is upon his chest in Chapter XXIII, "The Revelation." At this time, too, Chillingworth is present; however, again Dimmesdale does not surrender to the physician:
Old Roger Chillingworth knelt down beside him, with a blank, dull countenance [like black weeds], out of which the life seemed to have departed. "Thou hast escaped me! He repeated more than once."Thou hast escaped me!"
While Chillingworth has desired Dimmesdale's confession, it was only to him so that he could "own" the sin of the minister and thus control him. However, Dimmesdale escapes through his public confession; he exposes "the black weeds that have sprung up our of a buried heart."
No comments:
Post a Comment