Please identify some modern themes of human nature used by Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter and The House of Seven Gables.

In the novels
The Scarlett Letter  and The House of Seven Gables
uses similar modernregarding human nature which are most salient in the way that physical and
psychological traits are depicted. These traits are even more impressive when juxtaposed to the
time and place of the novels, which entail a period of relative harmony and community among the
people of Massachusetts. However, this contrast is precisely what Hawthorne aims to achieve to
present his main idea. Three of the manythat could be extrapolated are misjudgement, deception,
and hypocrisy.

Misjudgement-  The theme of
misjudgement is identifiable in both novels. In , the scorn of the people
is focused onand her "crime" of having become pregnant from an unknown man. As a
result, she becomes the pariah of her society and the scapegoat through which the villagers
channel their own vices. Despite of the great efforts she does for the community that condemned
her, people continue to see Hester as a sinner and act holier than thou in her present.
Similarly, The House of Seven Gables Hepzibah Pincheon's visual impediment
makes her LOOK unapproachable, but she is inherently kind and good-natured. The basic idea is
that appearances fool everyone, and that it is unfortunate that someone's looks, or even their
reputation is the most important factor for shallow people to make their judgment of
others.

Deception- Following along the lines of
misjudgment, deception is a crucial theme in both novels. In Scarlet the
unfair treatment of Hester is exacerbated by the blind fanaticism that the villagers feel for
Reverend , described as

The young divine, whose
scholar-like renown still lived in Oxford, was considered by his more fervent admirers as little
less than a heavenly ordained apostle...

Little did the
town know that it was he who impregnated the very woman whose life they have made impossible,
and that beneath that look of sainthood lives a man of flesh and bone who may very well have a
sadistic tendency for inflicting pain upon himself. Until the very end, Dimmesdale refuses to
let go of his "saintly" reputation and face the facts that surround him.

In Seven Gables the character of Judge Pyncheon is similar to that
of Dimmesdale in that they both enjoyed a great reputation and status within the community.
Judge Pyncheon's larger than life personality and his dashing smile completely hides his true
persona: he is selfish, heartless, a liar, and a bully who uses his rank to get whatever he
wants.

Hypocrisy- There is a clear social class
division in both of Hawthorne's novels. Those who serve as elders to the community are treated
like celebrities, basically, allowing them to indulge in less than  holy behaviors. In
The Scarlet Letter, the puritan leaders seem to have forgotten the vow of
poverty and simplicity in dress and lifestyle that the religion entails. We know for a fact that
at least Dimmesdale blew his vow for chastity. Yet, the loyalty to the faith is almost demanded
from all villagers to the point of putting Hester on the pillory for it.

Similarly, Gables also shows the double standards when the
powerful do something versus the not-so-powerful. The feud between the Mauds and the Pyncheons,
Matthew's severe complex with being identified as a working class man, and Alices snubbing of
him for that very reason makes it clear that Hawthorne intends to mock society, its ridiculous
divisions, and the silly behaviors of the people in general.