Read the statement by Roger Chillingworth relating to his quest to discover the father of Hester’s child from Chapter 4 of The Scarlet Letter.“There is a sympathy that will make me conscious of him. I shall see him tremble. I shall feel myself shudder, suddenly and unawares.”What does Roger Chillingworth mean when he makes this statement?
Answer
A
He will use force to discover the identity of the father of Hester’s child.
B
He will use his sensory abilities to intuitively discover the father of Hester’s child.
C
He will pay a ransom to Indigenous people to find the father of Hester’s child.
D
He will not stop pleading with Hester to reveal the identity of the father of her child.
Explanation
Chillingworth believes he will sense the father through a mysterious sympathy or connection: the man’s fear will make Chillingworth tremble or shudder in response. He means he will intuitively recognize the guilty person, not discover him through force, ransom, or continued pleading with Hester. The correct choice is “He will use his sensory abilities to intuitively discover the father of Hester’s child.”
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