Schadenfreude
There's something mesmerizing about the ill fortune of others.
What does the abundance of mishaps on TV and the internet reveal about human nature? We've all showed friends funny clips of people "failing" and getting hurt before. From an outsider's perspective, this behavior is a bit barbaric. You'd think we have progressed beyond laughing at someone taking a pratfall, but evidently we haven't.
Roger Chillingworth exhibits the same behavior, taking pleasure in Dimmesdale's psychological torment. When Chillingworth first arrives in Boston, he seems normal enough. He's gradually twisted by his thirst for revenge, until even his physical appearance reflects his dark thoughts. This transition seems crazy at first--a regular person could never become that evil. A simple search for "revenge killing" proves this assumption wrong. Under extreme circumstances, people are often willing to give up their ideals for the sake of vengeance. It takes an extremely strong sense of morality to forgive, say, someone who kidnapped your children.
The fact that there are people who commit crimes itself speaks to the depravity of human nature, let alone the people who then are incited to revenge.
As Hawthorne said, no matter how spotless a community, one of the first buildings they find it necessary to build is a jail.
Is it really the same thing? In my opinion, laughing at someone messing up is a lot different than psychologically tormenting someone for revenge, but thats just my thinking.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting topic. Why is it our human nature to seek vengeance? Doesn't God instruct us to forgive and forget? Yet we still seek vindication. Roger Chillingworth is a great example of your point.
ReplyDeleteNow that you mention it, it is really quite strange how humans find pleasure in the mishaps of others. You make some very great points about vengence and how it consumes Chillingworth to the point where it affects his appearance and nature.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that Chillingsworth basically twists himself into an evil person, but ultimately I think that he, like the others you speak of seeking vengeance, does not believe that he is wrong in doing so.
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