| Recurring Themes |
| Hawthorne often portrays the theme that society causes alienation. The fact that an individual is found in isolation due to society is found in The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne is forced to live on the outskirts of town due to the fact that she has committed a horrible sin, adultery. A sinner like her is not allowed to live among civilized society. Thus, as a result, Hester alienates herself from society and decides to live in a small cottage on the outskirts of town alone with her small child. Living here allows her to still visit town to run errands while still giving her a sense of separation from the rest of society. Her isolation took her out of �ordinary relations with humanity� and enclosed her �in a sphere by herself.� On a positive note, Hester�s isolated state allows her to experience things and accomplish results that no women had ever been able to do. Through her isolation she grows strong and is able to raise her child without the help of a husband or even friends. Another one of Hawthorne�s most recurring themes is that appearances are deceptive. In House of the Seven Gables Hawthorne uses the Judge�s permanent grin to portray that appearances often hide the truth. Even as his cruelty continues to grow Judge Pyncheon�s smile continues unmoved. Hepzibah�s scowl is also a physical trait that becomes her most identifiable trait and is able to draw away customers with disgust. Hawthorne places great emphasis on these two traits in order to build a contrast between what is perceived from the outside and what is found inside. In �Young Goodman Brown� Hawthorne also places great emphasis on the idea that appearances are deceptive and that there is always a secret motivation behind what humans do. For instance, when Goodman Brown says, �that old woman taught me my catechism� he expresses his astonishment that prominent members of the church are actually in secret terms with the devil. Deceptive appearances are also evident in The Scarlet Letter. The characters of Chillingworth and Dimmesdale are also prominent examples of the secret motives and sins that people cleverly hid behind complex disguises. Chillingworth is known throughout the land as a prominent physician. To the townspeople, having appointed Chillingworth to Dimmesdale seems a very clever idea but in reality the physician has very evil motives. He looks at the minister �with the intent regard of a physician towards his patient.� However, in reality this �outward show� is fueled by revenge and hate. Dimmesdale also hides many things behind his stern appearance. He is the minister, a leader who is considered without fault, but in reality Dimmesdale is a sinner to the worst caliber because not only does he sin, but he is unable to tell the town. His cowardly character differs from Hester who decides to live up to her scarlet letter. While Dimmesdale feels immense guilt he cannot bring himself to stand on the scaffold beside Hester. In The House of the Seven Gables, the most evident theme is that the sins of one generation are suffered by the next. Hawthorne says it himself, �the wrongdoings of one generation lives into the successive one.� In this novel, Hawthorne takes every opportunity possible to make clear the connection between Colonel�s Pyncheon�s wrongdoings and the misfortunes of the future generations. The curse that falls on Colonel�s Pyncheon�s head is exemplified partly by the deaths of Jaffrey Pyncheon and his nephew who are both found with blood all over their clothes and beard. Two-hundred years are not enough to remove the curse that falls on Colonel Pyncheon and as a result subsequent generations still suffer for his crimes. However, it�s interesting to note that while the family seemed destined for destruction they also brought much of their misfortunes on themselves due to their unquenchable greed. Gervayse Pyncheon and Jaffrey Pyncheon both die as consequences of the Pyncheon�s ambition which leads them to commit crimes that bring about their downfall. (more themes) |