In The Scarlet Letter, as relationships change between the characters a turn of events occur. The story takes place in Boston back to a time of Puritanism. Hester Prynne is committed of adultery. This story is about how she copes with her sin and how her it affects the people around her. The relationship that Roger Chillingworth and Dimmesdale have with each other is somewhat unusual. Chillingworth is Dimmesdale's physician. He decides to move in with Dimmesdale to take better care of him since his health is declining. The townspeople approve of the idea that the two live with each other and think only good of it. You'd think that Chillingworth is a harmless guy since he's a physician and is responsible for tending to the minister. In actuality he is the enemy. But Dimmesdale is so terrified of everyone in the town finding out his secret that he doesn't realize that his enemy is living in his own home. Chillingworth knows that Dimmesdale is hiding some deep dark secret. So he spends a great deal of time and energy to make him reveal it. .
One night after the minister fell asleep Chillingworth put his hand over Dimmesdale's heart to read it. Hawthorne's write that he acted, How Satan comports himself when a precious human soul is lost to heaven and won into his kingdom. Chillingworth wants to hurt the minister as much as possible. It consumes him to the point that he can only focus on causing him pain. Little Pearl plays a major role in the story. She is a living version of the scarlet letter. Her mother even makes her clothes look like the letter that she wears on her bosom. Pearl is not affected by the community. She is a free-spirited child. Pearl is curious and always asks her mother what the letter means. But every time she asks, her mother refuses to tell her. Although Pearl is an every day reminder and living proof of Hester's sin, Hester finds great joy in her daughter rather than resenting her.