Quote a line that shows Chillingworth as a symbol of evil.

Quote a line that shows Chillingworth as a symbol of evil.

• A. Chillingworth's calm demeanor hints at a hidden malevolence within.
• B. He wears a calm indifference that belies evil.
• C. The town sees him only as a concerned physician.
• D. So vivid was the expression [Chillingworth's], or so intense the minister's perception of it, that it seemed still to remain painted on the darkness after the meteor vanished, with an effect as if the street and all things else were at once annihilated

Answer: (D)

Symbolism here relies on haunting imagery to show Chillingworth as evil. The line paints his presence as something so intense the minister perceives it as still lingering in the darkness even after the meteor event has passed, as if his very face has been painted onto the night itself. That lasting impression—the idea that the street and all things are affected or annihilated by that gaze—frames Chillingworth not just as a villain, but as a moral force that corrupts the atmosphere around him. The effect is less about outward actions and more about how his presence distorts reality and moral order, making him a living emblem of evil in the scene. This vivid, enduring symbol goes beyond mere description of demeanor; it crystallizes the character as a manifestation of malevolence that the town—and the reader—cannot forget.

Symbolism here relies on haunting imagery to show Chillingworth as evil. The line paints his presence as something so intense the minister perceives it as still lingering in the darkness even after the meteor event has passed, as if his very face has been painted onto the night itself. That lasting impression—the idea that the street and all things are affected or annihilated by that gaze—frames Chillingworth not just as a villain, but as a moral force that corrupts the atmosphere around him. The effect is less about outward actions and more about how his presence distorts reality and moral order, making him a living emblem of evil in the scene. This vivid, enduring symbol goes beyond mere description of demeanor; it crystallizes the character as a manifestation of malevolence that the town—and the reader—cannot forget.