In order to differentiate himself from his ancestor, Hawthorne added a �W� to his name changing it to �Hawthorne.� The sense of guilt that he felt about the roles that his ancestors played led to his exploration of the ethical problems of sin, punishment, and atonement.
Another aspect of his life that affected Hawthorne�s writing were the social issues that he had to cope with. His main goal was to write, however, due to economic problems he had to take an unwanted job in the Salem customhouse. The first chapter of The Scarlet Letter, titled �The Custom House,� is based largely on his own experiences.
Hawthorne later moved to the communal society, Brook Farm, but economic and social pressures drove him to return to a job once again at the customhouse. His hatred for his job spread to a hatred for the whole town of Salem. �I detest this town so much,� Hawthorne said, �that I hate to go out into the streets, or to have people see me.�