-~- DIALECTICAL JOURNAL #14 -~-

 "He now dug into the poor clergyman's heart, like a miner searching for gold' or, rather, like a sexton devling into a grave, possibly in quest of a jewel that had been buried on the dead man's bosom..." ((Chapter 10/PAGE 113))




Roger Chillingworth is described to have been making connections with Mr. Dimmesdale, slowly becoming his friend but with a hidden agenda. He is looking for something, some information and some evidence to back up his suspicions on whether or not Arthur is the father of Pearl.
     Though the comparison of Arthur's heart to gold would be understandable to anyone that had held a conversation with him or heard him deliver a sermon. It is true that Arthur Dimmesdale was a man widely respected and noted for his true kindness. However, in order for a miner to get to the gold, he must descend down a dark, dangerous cave. The cave in this instance being the shroud of guilt and pain the clergyman feels for wronging his God and sinning without the capacity to confess to anyone. 
     The next comparison is just as interesting as it is almost not a comparison. It is as if the narrator is detailing the inevitable fate that befalls Arthur. When Chillingworth finds out of this ignominious action against his wife, he will surely put in him in his grave. (Slowly however, for he wants him to suffer as much as possible.) The jewel that the sexton would be looking for would be the guilt, the sin that is printed on Hester's chest yet unsurprisingly invisible on Arthur's. Chillingworth wants to expose Dimmesdale (assuming his suspicions are correct.) for what he is and what he has done so he can jointly share the pain and public humiliation along with Hester and Pearl.
    Last thing to point out is the ironic comparison of Chillingworth to the sexton. The sexton, being the church gravedigger, bell-ringer, or practically an errand-boy; would not be someone whom you would expect to be stealing the possessions of the dead. (The Jewel.) Chillingworth, being a highly-educated doctor would not be the person you would expect to be craving human suffering and feed off of the shame of others.