Chapters 13-14

These two chapters clearly define the views of Hesters, Chillingsworth and the townspeople.

Hester has no malice toward Chillingswoth. She wants him to become human again and stop the revenge. He is apparently too far gone with jealousy and revenge to change. His age has a part to play in it too. He is older now and seems to be content with picking wildflowers and roots for his remedies. He is a very sad man who doesn't want his identity revealed. Does he not have the strength to stand by Hester's side. It was mentioned that she married him because of economic and class-conscious reasons and not love. He apparently was a dry boring scholar and thought it was a great idea to wed a young woman. This was the beginning of the end. Chillingsworth, in my opinion, was not a man of honor in any way. He wanted the public's approval, even over his own religious beliefs.

Hester transformed too. She has taken to helping the needy and not really caring about the reason why the scarlet letter in on her. She still has concern for Pearl and her interpretation of this letter.

Dimmesdale's health has taken a toll too. Guilt and judgment on himself has made him an old man.

I still don't know why Dimmesdale and Hester and Pearl didn't just leave and start a new life. It is a nice tangled literature type web.

When I got to this point, I thought the same thing! Just leave!
I felt Chillingsworth was feeling some remorse for his part in making hester the woman she was. he commented on how good she might have been if she had married else wise, seing all her current virtues. he has too much pride to allow the town to know he was a cuckhold and also neglectful, not to mention that he stayed and wended his way into the community for years to get vengence.

I agree with Hester that her first mistake was to marry a man much older and had nothing in common with.

Why did Hester decide not to reveal the truth about Mr. Chillingsworth?? I can't remember.
I agree that these chapters define many of the characters in the novel and their progress up until now, and I find it interesting how "before the times" Hester's view and feminism seems to be.
Like many people who have had to endure significant loss, she has little personality left it seems, and is really just a shell, that goes through the motions to obtain what she needs for her daughter.

To the best of my recollection, it was never brought up why she didn't speak up and tell everyone she was married to Chillingsworth.

Chillingworth had something over her which is why she did not divulge his identity. Maybe it was that he was not going to publicly harrass her or Per. There was a reason but I can't remember. HE said he felt he and she we even since he married her so young and and then left her to her own devices for two yers in new england.