He also uses plenty of symbols in his writings such as the portrait of Colonel Pyncheon and the house itself in The House of the Seven Gables. Hawthorne also frequently uses visual imagery as part of his long descriptions in order for the audience to visualize the setting of the novel. For instance, Hawthorne vividly describes the prison door during the first chapter of the Scarlet Letter in order to introduce the society and the character of Hester Prynne.
Another aspect of Hawthorne�s style is that formal diction remains fairly consistent from character to character. This aspect of his style, which was exclusive to his time period, is evident in Pearl. As a young child she talks with the same formality as the governor. She calls Hester �mother� and tells the minister, �Will you stand here with mother and me to-morrow noontide?� These words portray how Pearl�s formality in speech is no different than that of the grown ups in the story.
In addition, Hawthorne�s style is also characterized by an absence of confrontations between characters. The characters struggle with inner conflicts not outward conflicts, such as Reverend Dimmesdale whose insides are torn up by guilt. Furthermore, since Hawthorne makes use so much of allegory and symbolism his characters sometimes seem misty and unreal. What�s significant, however, is that they reveal the emotional ambivalence that he felt characterized Puritan society.