Who Is Chillingworth's Identity In The Scarlet Letter

Roger Chillingworth from The Scarlet Letter is a character who knew himself “so well,” infact too well. According to the Who Am I? article, “To know yourself so well,” like Chillingworth did, “leaves no room for growth. Even more, it suggests a deep vulnerability that is being defended against - as if it were too dangerous to take a closer look” (Schwartz). This sense of self affected Roger because “No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true” (Hawthorne). Therefore he was affected emotionally, mentally, and physically, as by the end of the novel, when Dimmesdale dies, Chillingworth no longer has any sense of self. He ends up dying because his identity became so dependent on
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This is significant to the novel’s plot structure as Chillingworth was the main antagonist in the book. His identity being so tightly packed around his desire for revenge affected the sequence of events in the book. It tore Dimmesdale apart eventually leading to his death, and Chillingworth’s death as well, which were two major events in the novel. An important message is conveyed in these events: Your own identity and sense of self has the potential to affect others.

Another person whose identity is influencing others is Emma Watson; however, she started out on the other end of the Who Am I? article as someone who didn’t know herself so well, but gained a sense of identity through her own personal beliefs. As the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson told her audience: “I don’t know if I’m qualified to be here. All I know is