Use of Symbolism in Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables

The Dark Side of Judge Pyncheon in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Novel, The House of the Seven Gables

    In Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic The Scarlet Letter, nature plays a very important and symbolic role.  Hawthorne uses nature to convey the mood of a scene, to describe characters, and to link the natural elements with human nature.  Many of the passages that have to do with nature accomplish more than one of these ideas.  All throughout the book, nature is incorporated into the story line. The deep symbolism conveyed by certain aspects of nature helps the reader gain a deeper understanding of the plight and inner emotions of the characters in the novel.

The garden is the vehicle in which the narrator reveals her reluctance to leave behind the imaginary world of childhood and see the realities of the adult world. The evidence supporting this interpretation is the imagery of hiding. The narrator uses the garden to hide from reality and the

Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" is full of symbolism throughout the story. Perhaps the most interesting examples of symbolism include the title character, Young Goodman Brown, as well as his wife, Faith, and the woods that Young Goodman Brown enters on his journey. Included are many allusions to Christianity and also to evil and sin. These references are expressed mainly through characters and settings in the story.

The idea illustrated by the rosebush can therefore be applied to the specific character of Pearl. Because Pearl was expelled from Puritan society Nature sympathizes with her. Nature's sympathy and partiality with Pearl can be seen with the sunshine in the forest. Pearl attempts to "catch" the sunshine and according to Hawthorn "Pearl . . . did actually catch the sunshine . . . The light lingered about the lonely child, as if glad of such a playmate . . ."(146). Hawthorn describes another sign of acceptance as the "great black forest . . . became the playmate of the lonely infant"(163). Hawthorne eventually declares that "The truth seems to be . . . that the mother-forest, and these wild things which it nourished, all recognized a kindred wildness in the human child"(163). All natural things and Nature accept this little girl who has been thrust out of Puritan society.

Another character that is connected to a flower is Mrs. Maudie because just like the Azaleas she keeps positiveness even though she's surrounded by negativity. The author quotes, “Always wanted a smaller house, Jem

In The Great Gatsby, being with Daisy is Gatsby’s goal. A daisy is a white flower, and this places the color white as a color that represents Daisy. This is ironic, as although Daisy is pure in Gatsby’s, she is in fact tainted by he marriage with Tom Buchanan. Furthermore, flowers are ephemeral, which suggests that the affair that Gatsby and Daisy have will be brief, and will eventually die. In Miss Julie, flowers represent sexuality and courtship. Lilacs are present on the set of this play, and symbolise youthful love. Lilacs bring Jean and Miss Julie together. However, just like daisies, lilacs are ephemeral and eventually die. This symbolises the death of Jean’s opportunity to climb the “slippery trunk” through Miss Julie. Gatsby and Jean’s dreams are destined to die from the very

The speaker then introduces nature as a female entity, which coincides with the perception of “Mother Nature.” as a female entity. “And from the fields the flowers and plants allure, / Where nature was most plain and pure” (3-4). The words “plain and pure” imply that nature, in its original, untouched state, has a sort of purity associated with a virgin maiden. Before coming into contact with “man,” nature has a pristine and naïve characteristic. However, that will change as soon after “man” establishes a position of power over nature. Mankind traps nature within “the gardens square” (5), and he begins to change the plants, presumably by grafting them together or selectively breeding them to produce more desirable and colorful traits. This “Garden square,” with its “dead and standing pool of air” (6). could be interpreted as the cramped interior of the brothel where the women are forced to work, with four walls trapping them on every side. Later in the poem, too, the garden is referred to as a “green seraglio” (27). A seraglio is the women’s apartment area of an Ottoman palace. This was an

Nathaniel Hawthorne is a prominent writer who uses many different elements in his works. He uses elements such as symbolism, figurative language, metaphor, irony and etc. to make his work prominent. In the works by Nathaniel Hawthorne, he uses symbols for secret sin in The Scarlet Letter, “The Minister’s Black Veil,” and “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment.”

Webster defined "symbol" with these words: "Something concrete that represents or suggests another thing that cannot in itself be pictured." This concept has been particularly applied to literature and used by writers throughout history. Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter uses multitudes of symbols in such a manner. One of the most prominent, and most complicated, of such symbols is the scarlet letter "A". The scarlet letter "A" is a symbol of a daughter's connection to her mother, isolation, and the devil and its associations.

"The House of the Seven Gables" is a romantic novel set in a grand and rustic, old house with seven

     American literature reflects life and the struggles faced during existence. Symbols are an eloquent way for an author to create a more fully developed work of art. The stories themselves tell a tale; however, an author also uses symbols to relay his message in a more subtle manner. Nathaniel Hawthorne was one of the earliest authors to use symbols as an integral part of his plots. This is clearly seen in both The Scarlet Letter and in The House of the Seven Gables. The use of symbols causes an "association psychology" to enter into the story, making it more intriguing.1 In Nathaniel Hawthorne's romance The House of the Seven Gables, symbolism is used eloquently to enhance the story

She runs into the field. It welcomes her, greets her with the feeling of petals brushing her skin. Alice’s skin is soft. The petals are soft. Comforting, embracing.

A domestic analysis of House of the Seven Gables may suggest a new way to approach the troublesome question of the novel's conclusion. The marriage of Phoebe and Holgrave, the new affluence of the three Pyncheons, and everyone's removal to the late Judge’s country house pose significant critical problems. Hawthorne appears to begin with a story that condemns the past, aristocratic ideology, and isolation and to conclude having all of the characters embrace these corrupted values. Was Hawthorne merely having all the characters embrace these corrupted values? Was Hawthorne merely uncomfortably giving in to public demand for a happy ending?

What if the flower knew about Morrie’s condition way before Morrie did? The pink hibiscus flower stands for friendship and all kinds of love, not just romantic love (flowermeaning.com, N.D.). The flower was given from Morrie’s son, this kind of love was a father-son love. Between Mitch and Morrie, the flower meant a friendship love between them. Each day Mitch learned something new from Morrie, and that day he learned friendship, every Tuesday he learned friendship.