"'Yet some men bury their secrets thus,' observed the calm physician." Pg. 101
The above quote is a great representation of the measures people will go to to clear themselves when their backs are against the wall. Chillingworth, having been previously discovered to be a doctor of questionable trainind and accused of being the devil incarnate, makes a play towards the clergyman Dimmesdale in order to find fault in the man and remove his name from public notoriety and press. Just as the strong lacing of morality and religion dominates the first half of the book, the theme of fear of evil also presents itself in chapters nine and ten and I find it quite interesting. It is interesting because the townspeople do not know what the devil looks like, and so could never actually, definitively prove its palpable existence among man. I find it funny how the people are driven to fear and pandemonium over speculation and frenzy that are sensationalized by the leaders. It is quite sad really that they are so ignorant to the fact that a divine beign cannot actually be living through a person. Mind you that Salem was the town in which the witch trials took place. These people do not know what to think without having someone to blame the smallest faults on. Unfortunately for these two men, it is figures of prominence or those with private lives who seem to get the most speculation.
No comments:
Post a Comment