Nathaniel Hawthorne is another American Romantic writer who is known for his fiction. Along with Melville, he helped make the novel genre a big part of the American Romantic tradition.

Hawthorne, who came from New England, often set his fictional works in that region. His works are notable for their psychological complexity, for their emphasis on emotion, and for being ol' standbys in high school English classrooms. But there's a reason for that, Shmoopers: he's uber-important. His novels are also often set in the early days of America: when the Puritans first landed and established colonies in places like Boston.

The Scarlet Letter (1850)

This book is brought to you by the letter A. The Scarlet Letter, set in the early days of the settlement of Boston when America was still a new colony, tells the tale of Hester Prynne. The uptight Puritans who live in the town are scandalized when Hester's affair with a local man leads to her (oops) pregnancy. She's condemned to wear a scarlet letter—the letter "A" for "adulteress"—as punishment for the affair.

The Scarlet Letter is Hawthorne's most famous novel. Not only does it reflect the characteristic American Romantic emphasis on emotion and passion, it also deals with questions of freedom, morality, and justice.

The House of the Seven Gables (1851)

The House of the Seven Gables, like The Scarlet Letter, is a historical novel. It tells the story of the Pyncheon family. The Pyncheons are plagued by a curse because of Colonel Pyncheon, a forbear who built the family house by sacrificing the life of an innocent man. Pro-tip: to avoid curses, make sure innocent men don't die so you can get your dream home.

This novel reflects Hawthorne's preoccupation with early Puritan America, and in it we find him grappling with questions of freedom and justice. Hawthorne's characters in this book—like his characters in his other works—are motivated by strong emotions, which are a central driving force in this plot. They feel all the feels.

Chew On This

The Pyncheons, the family at the center of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables, are too proud for their own good. Pride is one of the central emotions that the novel engages with. Have a look at these quotations about the Pyncheons here.

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter critiques the undemocratic values of early Puritan America. Thank goodness the country moved on from those times (and that fashion). Check out Hawthorne's treatment of the themes of justice, judgment, and democracy here.