S.L. chp. 10

#22

that these black weeds have sprung up out of a buried heart, to make manifest an unspoken crime?

I found that this related to nature because in a way the black weeds have a mind of their own and have sprung out of a heart that was once living. The importance of the black weeds and the heart they have sprung from is that Dimmesdale has abandoned his relationship with Hester and Pearl. The words 'buried heart' in a way could mean that Arthur's affection for his family is just hidden or stowed for a later time. When Chillingsworth says "to make manifest an unspoken crime" he is trying to get Dimmesdale to admit to his act of adultry with Hester or at least attempting to get enough of a reaction.