Chapter 10: The Leech and His Patient

Chapter Group Tasks1. Summarize the Chapter2. Address the Chapter Study

Questions 3. Use the Chapter Vocabulary4. Identify:

Symbols -AllusionsAllegory -Foreshadowing

5.Create a Visual Representation of the main action(Picture, Storyboard , Cartoon, Puppet

Show, Flip Book, Playlet)

1. Summarize the Chapter

Searching for Hester's lover became the secret purpose of Chillingworth’s life and

it clouded his head and heart. Chillingworth watches the Reverend, searching him for the secret sin of his soul. Slowly he was trying to get the Reverend to confess and one afternoon began a discussion with him about unconfessed sin and how it eats away at the soul.

  While they are talking, they see Hester and Pearl in the cemetery.  Hester and Pearl look up at the men in the window, who wonder if the mischievous nymph-like Pearl is true evil. Pearl shouts to her mother that they must get away or the old black man will catch her as he has the reverend. After the woman and the child leave the cemetery, the men continue with their conversation.  Mr. Chillingworth accuses the Reverend of hiding his symptoms. He says that he cannot cure him until he knows the pain upon his soul because that sin is part of his bodily ailment. 

  In a moment of passion, the Reverend blows up at Chillingworth, telling him that he will reveal nothing to the “earthly man” and leaves the room.  This display of passion makes Chillingworth exceptionally pleased, because he feels it brings him closer to finding out what the reverend is hiding. When the reverend is asleep, Chillingworth looks under his shirt and displays great joy.”

"Novel Summary: The Scarlet Letter: Chapters 9-10." Novelguide. 27 Sep 2008 <www.novelguide.com/thescarletletter/summaries/chap9-10.html>.

1. What “investigation” consumes Chillingworth?

His aspirations (hopes and desires) include finding out the truth about Hester’s lover and the secrets he thinks are buried in Dimmesdale’s soul.

The Chapter Study Questions

Who is Chillingworth’s main suspect and victim?

One may infer it is Dimmesdale.

‘He now dug into the poor clergyman’s heart like a miner searching for gold, as a sexton (church caretaker) delving into a grave in quest of a jewel that had been buried on the dead man’s bosom.’

2. What is a leech? What double meaning does the world “leech” have?

It can be a blood sucker or an archaic word for a doctor.

It is also used to describe someone who takes from others and gives nothing in return.

I am tired of her leeching off of me!

3. What secret does Chillingworth believe is buried in Dimmesdale’s heart?

He believes that Dimmesdale is hiding something that troubles his soul. He tells Dimmesdale he will only receive solace (comfort or alleviation of anxiety and guilt) if he confesses. One can infer the Chillingworth is pretty sure that Dimmesdale is Hester’s lover.

4. Where does the doctor obtain the dark ugly weeds he is examining? What is his explanation for their appearance?

- From the graveyard, growing on an unmarked tomb

-They grew out of the man’s heart to represent a hideous secret that was buried with him , which he should of confessed to in his lifetime.

5. Why would Dimmesdale live with guilt and not confess his sin openly?

Dimmesdale tells Chillingworth that some men don’t confess because they have a zeal for God’s glory and man’s welfare. They shrink from displaying themselves black and filthy in the view of men; because, if they do, no good can be achieved by them. (No evil of the past can be redeemed by better service.)

Or in other words, if someone in a high position admits his sin, people may not allow him to make up for it by now doing good in the world.

6. What reaction does Pearl have to Chillingworth when she sees him with Rev. Dimmesdale?

She says to her mother, “Come away, mother! Come away, or yonder old Black Man will catch you! He hath got hold of the minister already. Come away, mother, or he will catch you! But he cannot catch little Pearl!”

7. What discovery does Chillingworth make when Dimmesdale “fell into a deep, deep slumber”?

The physician advanced to his patient, laid his hand upon his bosom, and thrust aside the vestment, that, hitherto, had always covered it even from the professional eye.   Then, indeed, Mr. Dimmesdale shuddered, and slightly stirred.

  After a brief pause, the physician turned away. But with what a wild look of wonder, joy, and horror! With what a ghastly rapture, as it were, too mighty to be expressed only by the eye and features, and therefore bursting forth through the whole ugliness of his figure.

So we can infer he sees “something” on the minister’s chest.

Symbol: anything that stands for or represents something else beyond it—usually an idea

Allegory: a symbolic story or extended metaphor having both literal and figurative meanings (The difference between an allegory and a symbol is that

an allegory is a complete narrative that conveys abstract ideas to get a point across, while a symbol is a representation of an idea or concept that can have a different meaning throughout a literary work.)

Allusion: an analogy created by referring to something “well-known” from outside the story

Foreshadow: The use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in the story.

Symbolism

Chillingworth's eyes - ghastly furnace

Dimmesdale’s name – reference to his “dim” interior and fading health

Dark weeds growing over a gravesite – sins of the buried person

Allusions

Bunyan's awful doorway: from Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

describing the gates of hell

On that day….: means “Judgment Day”

Allegory

The ghastly rapture Chillingworth shows fits in with the devil’s rapture to gain a new sinner in the bible.

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

Ephesians/New Testament

Foreshadowing   “No!—not to thee!—not to an earthly

physician!” cried Mr. Dimmesdale, passionately, and turning his eyes, full and bright, and with a kind of fierceness, on old Roger Chillingworth. “Not to thee! But, if it be the soul’s disease, then do I commit myself to the one Physician of the soul! He, if it stand with his good pleasure, can cure; or he can kill! Let him do with me as, in his justice and wisdom, he shall see good. But who art thou, that meddlest in this matter?—that dares thrust himself between the sufferer and his God?”

Is this foreshadowing that he knows what Chllingworth is up do?

The Leech and His Patient

“ The Rev. is surely hiding something. I’ve just got to dig deeper into his soul. I must be careful and creative, though, so he doesn’t figure out what I’m doing.”

Chillingworth (to himself)

Dimmesdale:“Hey Doc., whatcha doing with those dark

ugly weeds.”

Chillingworth“Oh, I found them growing on this dead guy’s

grave. They must have grown out of his heart to symbolize some horrible secret that was buried with him because he didn’t confess on Earth.”

Dimmesdale:“Maybe he wanted to but just couldn’t.

Maybe he thought he could do more good on Earth if people didn’t know what a bad guy he really was.”

Chillingworth“He just lying to himself. He’s a coward.

You can’t glorify God by going to Him with your sins unconfessed.”

Chillingworth“Hey, look out the window. There’s

Hester and Pearl. There is something wrong with that child’s nature. Is she even capable of good?”

Dimmesdale:“I don’t know.”

Pearl (after throwing prickly burrs up at the window)

“Let’s go Mother or the evil guy will get you like he has caught hold of the Reverend.”

Chillingworth“There goes a woman whose sins are not

hidden. Do you think she might be less miserable because they are out in the open?”

Dimmesdale:“I think so, but there is a look of pain on

her face that is hard for me to bear. Still it probably is better for sinners to have their sins out in the open, instead of hidden in their hearts.”

Chillingworth“You asked me before about my judgment

of your health. Your disorder is a strange one, but not so bad a smart guy like me can’t figure out.”

Dimmesdale:“Huh?”

Chillingworth“You must tell me if you have been hiding

something important from me about your sickness.

Dimmesdale:“Why would I hide my symptoms after

asking you to help me?”

Chillingworth“Well, you know, a physical sickness can

have a spiritual part. You have to tell me what’s troubling your soul.”

Dimmesdale:“No!!!! No! No! No! I’ll only tell God and

let Him do to me what He will in His great wisdom on judgment day.” (The Rev. rushes out.)

Chillingworth (to himself)“It’s good I pushed him as something has

sure got him upset. But I’ll have to be more careful so he’ll still think I’m his friend. I will figure this out!”

Chillingworth:

“Let me just take a peek under his shirt.Oh my! I’m feeling wonder, joy, and horror! Let me dance around with excitement!”

The End