Obsession and Philanthropy

Where it surfaces

• The Convalescent

  Hollingsworth's single-minded devotion to his criminal reform scheme is portrayed as a consuming, dehumanizing obsession that overrides genuine human connection.

• A Modern Arcadia

  Hollingsworth's powerful influence over Zenobia and Priscilla, and Coverdale's suspicion that Hollingsworth is making proselytes, hints at an obsessive philanthropic mission.

• IX: Hollingsworth, Zenobia, Priscilla

  Hollingsworth's all-consuming philanthropic purpose is portrayed as dehumanizing, turning him into a mere instrument of his own ideology.

• XI: The Wood-Path

  Westervelt's mocking description of Hollingsworth's philanthropic scheme highlights the obsessive nature of reformist zeal and its potential for manipulation.

• XII: Coverdale's Hermitage

  Hollingsworth's driving of oxen symbolizes his obsessive, single-minded pursuit of reform.

• XV: A Crisis

  Hollingsworth's single-minded pursuit of his philanthropic goal leads him to demand total loyalty and to consider sacrificing personal ethics.

• XVIII: The Boardinghouse

  Coverdale's obsessive preoccupation with the fates of Hollingsworth, Zenobia, and Priscilla, despite his attempt to leave them behind.

• XIX: Zenobia’s Drawing-Room

  Hollingsworth's single-minded devotion to his reform idea is discussed as both noble and absurd.

• XX: They Vanish

  Coverdale's persistent focus on Hollingsworth and his sense of duty to intervene reflect an obsessive concern, while Zenobia accuses him of meddling under the guise of duty.

• A Village Hall

  Coverdale's lingering fixation on his Blithedale companions and Hollingsworth's intense focus on Priscilla reflect obsessive attachments.

• The Three Together

  Hollingsworth's obsession with his philanthropic project is exposed as a cold, self-centered mechanism that destroys those around him.

• Blithedale Pasture

  Hollingsworth's exclusive philanthropic obsession is shown to have ruined his heart, leading to a life of guilt and melancholy.