Choose one of the three main characters and discuss his/her motivations throughout the novel. What is the final outcome for the character you are discussing, and what does this outcome suggest to the reader?
Throughout the novel Roger Chillingworth is motivated to discover who has fathered his unfaithful wife's child, believing that Hester has been punished enough by society. "I have left thee to the scarlet letter," replied Roger Chillingworth. "If that have not avenged me, I can do no more!" As Hester refuses to give his name, Roger sets out on his own pursuit, creating the character of a physician and going undercover in the small New England town. He stalks Dimmesdale, becoming his doctor and urging him confess what he is sure is his secret affair with Hester. In the end, Roger gets what he wants, a confession from Dimmesdale, signifying a triumph over the sinners. However, as Roger's life was so intertwined with his quest for revenge, he ultimately has no further purpose to live and dies shortly after Dimmesdale.
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