Saturday, August 29, 2009

What is the simile that Hawthorne uses to describe the emotions on the face of the stranger as he spots Hester in chapter 3 of The Scarlet Letter?

The
importantabout the stranger'sface in chapter three is the following:


A writhing horror twisted itself across his features, like a snake
gliding swiftly over them

A simile is a comparison using
the words 'like' or 'as.' In the simile above, Chillingworth's face is distorted as if a snake
glides over it.

The simile is important because it connects Chillingworth to
a serpent. He will behave like the serpent in the garden of Eden, cozying up toand pretending to
be his friend but in reality having no good intentions towards him.


Chillingworth is a devious, deceptive figure throughout the novel. Like Satan, he
disguises his true identity and holds hate in his heart. Like Satan, too, he is a very proud
figure. He doesn't want people to know, for example, that he is married to an adulteress, as
this would shame him.

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