Scarlet Letter (Chapt 8-10)

    Chapter 8: In chapter 8 before the debate begins on whether or not Hester should be allowed to keep Pearl Governor Bellingham, Mr. Wilson, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth had entered the room. I think it is rude of them to start off by making fun of Pearl when Mr. Wilson says "What little bird of scarlet plumage may this be?... Or art thou one of those naughty elfs or fairies whom we thought to have left behind us, with other relics of Papistry, in merry old England?"( Hawthorne 105-106) After she says her name is Pearl he continues to suggest that her name should be Ruby, Coral, or Red Rose, and makes references to her mothers scarlet letter. I think it is kind of ironic that they want to take Pearl away from Hester because they think she is not going to be raised well enough when the people that want to take her away are already making fun of her and are not being good to her. I like that Hester later on starts to stick up for Pearl because before it was easy for her to keep quiet and mind her own business when people were making fun of Hester but when they threaten to take away Pearl she starts to yell and say that it is her right to keep her because God gave her Pearl. I also like that the minister agrees to let her keep Pearl and starts to side with Hester a little bit and says that if Pearl stays with her mother it will allow Pearl to learn from Hester's mistakes. I think Dimmesdale pitied Hester, but I think it is kind of weird that he sided and was somewhat nice to her all of a sudden, me thinks he is the baby daddy.
     Chapter 9: Throughout the whole chapter it explains Roger Chillingworth's past and since the only one that knows of his past it is easy for him to just go to a new town and say that he is a physician especially since there are not a lot of locals in the medical field. Since Dimmesdale started to get sick and is in very bad shape Chillingworth volunteers to live with him and take care of him. After a while they start to grow closer together and become closer friends. I feel like in a way Chillingworth could be taking advantage of the situation because if he becomes closer to Dimmesdale then it is possible and easy for Chillingworth to influence Dimmesdale's opinion especially when it comes to Hester's situation. Also if Dimmesdale dies Chillingworth its possible that he could take over Dimmesdale's position as a minister and if that happens he would have more control over Hester. Chillingworth has already shown that he is determined to find out who Pearl's father is so it would make sense for something like that to happen. At the end of the chapter it says "his expression had been calm, meditative, scholar-like. Now, there was something ugly and evil in his face which they had not previously noticed, and which grew still the more obvious to sight, the oftener they looked upon him."(Hawthorne 124) More people are questioning Chillingworth especially since they think that he is possessed by Satan or working for Satan. I'm not sure if that quote actually means he is becoming evil or going crazy or if he is just stressed out from trying to cure Dimmesdale and that the people are misinterpreting his expressions.
        Chapter 10: Chillingworth is now working harder on curing Dimmesdale of his sickness. The house they're staying in is right next to the graveyard and so Chillingworth takes some weeds and herbs that have grown on top of graves and turns them into medicine to give to Dimmesdale, I think its grody to the max that he does that. Then one day they hear Pearl outside playing in the graveyard and Hester is there too. I noticed that Pearl was dancing on some graves and to most people that would be disrespectful but I think because of her innocence she does not realize that. I noticed Hester was pretty quiet especially when she realized that Chillingworth and Dimmesdale were in the house next to them. Pearl says that there is a "Black man", which is Chillingworth, standing from the window and that he is about to capture the minister. People were questioning Chillingworth in chapter 9 saying that he was either possessed by Satan or is working for Satan and when Pearl describes him at the "Black man"it supports the fact that he may be becoming evil. At the end of the chapter Chillingworth goes up to Dimmesdale when he is in a deep sleep and took off his vestment. Dimmesdale's chest is exposed and Chillingworth is surprised, and shocked at what he sees. The chapter doesn't reveal what Chillingworth saw so now I'm wondering what it is that he saw. Earlier I said in Chapter 8 that I think Dimmesdale is the father because of how he sided with Hester earlier. So to me it would make sense for there to be a scarlet letter on his chest.