What happened in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s past that made him write his novels the way he did? Nathaniel Hawthorne did not seem proud of his past or ancestors, so to separate himself from his family he added a “w” to his last name. The deep dark secrets of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s past affected his writing in many ways. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s past had a great deal to do with how he had written his novels. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s relative were wealthy and influential people. His first American ancestor, William Hathorne, was a judge who persecuted Quakers, and another of his ancestor’s, John Hathrone sentenced many women from salem to death for witchcraft. Those are some reason on why he was not proud to be part of his family, so he add the “w” to
