First, Hawthorne uses tone as a way to explain Puritan values. For example, Hawthorne writes

"A man of sturdy understanding, like Judge Pyncheon, cares no more for twelve o'clock at night than for the corresponding hour of noon. However, just the parallel drawn, in some of the preceding pages between his Puritan ancestor and himself, it fails to this point. The Pyncheon of two centuries ago, in common with most of his contemporaries, professed his full belief in spiritual ministrations, although reckoning them chiefly of a malignant character" (Hawthorne 243).

This quote is an example of the Puritan heritage Hawthorne is part of. The quote tells of "spiritual ministrations" which helped to build up a person's character in a positive way. The quote hints at the importance of ancestors in one's family, because Judge Pyncheon was supposed to have a parallel lifestyle to his uncle, and the above quote draws a co

The words like "dog-day heat" add to the image Hawthorne tries to create through words, which enhances descriptions. The tone Hawthorne uses is cynical and humorous. Peter Buitenhuis says that Hawthonre "uses a number of striking oxymorons to illustrate the hypocritical nature of the man, such as 'solid unrealities' and 'splendid rubbish'." (Buitenhuis 80). The use of oxymorons by Hawthorne keeps the reader from becoming bored and exhausted from paragraphs of explanations and descriptions. With the use of cynical phrases and oxymorons, Hawthorne's writing becomes more enjoyable and enlightening, rather than dry and over descriptive. "In The House of Seven Gables, there is also more humor than of his other works. It peeps out, even in the most serious passages, in a kind of demure rebellion against the fanaticism of his remorseless intelligence" (Whipple 305). By adding cynicism to more serious passages, Hawthorne provides the reader with comic relief from the seriousnes!

Hawthorne not only uses tone to add to description and to reiterate Puritan values, but also to describe the theme of the novel, maturation. The main character, Phoebe, matures during her time with the Pyncheon's and living in the house of seven gables.

In summary, Hawthorne uses the ever-important literary term of tone to reiterate Puritan values, enhance description, and to develop a theme. In reiterating Puritan values of the Nineteenth Century, Hawthorne uses the tone of teaching to describe the rights and wrongs of the Puritan society. To enhance description to include all of the five senses, Hawthorne uses a tone that is cynical and humorous, while being very descriptive, and sometimes even finds himself talking through oxymoron's to provide comic relief from serious points in the novel. And finally, to develop the theme, Hawthorne uses a frank tone to flat out say what the theme of the novel is, which is maturation.

nnection between the narration of Maule at the beginning chapter of the book, with the description of Judge Pyncheon. Another example of Puritan values important to Hawthorne are spoken about on page 105,

n. Criti

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Approximate Word count = 1456
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)