In his other famous novel, The House of the Seven Gables, Hawthorne also uses symbolism; most specifically he uses the house itself, as well as the portrait of Colonel Pyncheon. First of all, the house is a symbol for the declining fortune of the Pyncheons, as the house decays so does the family. It also shows the dangers of living in the past and the glories of the past instead of those of the present generations. For instance, Holgrave explains that true freedom can be found in the ability of each generation to destroy past structures and replace them with their own. The house is like a prison in which the characters are left to linger in the past and suffer the consequences of past generations, in fact, when Clifford flees from the house is when he is finally able to experience freedom. The portrait of Colonel Pyncheon is also a symbol found The House of the Seven Gables. Colonel Pyncheon watches as generations from generation his descendants fall into the same ambition that brought his own downfall. Judge Pyncheon resembles the portrait while Clifford recoils at its sight thus serving as evidence of Judge Pyncheon�s corruption and greed as well as Clifford�s more honest nature.
Furthermore, Nathaniel Hawthorne shows many of his most prominent themes through the use of allegory. For instance, in The House of the Seven Gables the physical decay of the house mirrors the spiritual and moral decay of the Pyncheon family. The house has is slowly falling apart and the garden is disorganized and full of weeds. The house and the inhabitants go hand in hand. As the house becomes less appealing, so do its inhabitants. On the contrary this allegory applies not only to decay but also to renewal when Phoebe and Holgrave weed the garden and repair the summerhouse.
In addition, Hawthorne�s short story �Young Goodman Brown� is highly allegorical. For instance, Goodman Brown�s wife is named Faith. Her character is allegorical her name not only serves to identify her character but also to symbolize Goodman Brown�s actual faith in God. This idea is evident primarily when he directly states �my Faith is gone,� meaning not only his wife but also his religious faith. This idea of interpreting names allegorically is also evident throughout Hawthorne�s other works.
For instance, in The Scarlet Letter, the names of the most prominent characters can be interpreted allegorically. �Chillingsworth� is cold and cruel as he brings a �chill� to the lives of Hester and Dimmesdale. Hester�s last name, �Prynne,� rhymes with sin and thus serves as a reminder of Hester�s adultery. The name �Dimmesdale� suggests dimness and weakness, a lack of will and insight, which characterizes the young minister. Also �Pearl� suggests an object of great price and worth. Pearl is of great worth to her mother. She loves her dearly and this is what gives Hester an insensitive to live. However, Pearl comes at a great price to her mother because she is forced to humiliation and alienation.