The House Of The Seven Gables And Ruth Hall Analysis

The mid 1850s were a tumultuous time for the American people. The United States was on the cusp of a new golden era of invention, industrialization, and influence on a global scale. People began to turn away from traditional mores, searching for more modern ways of living and thinking. Reform and rebellion touched all aspects of society and culture, spurred on by a rising tide of philosophers and liberal thinkers. The Enlightenment and egalitarianism movements prompted philosophical questions about tolerance, social worth, and equality. Stemming from the abolitionist movement, the questioning of a man’s worth bled into other aspects of everyday life, such as the value of a woman and the damaging role that old fashioned notions of gender and social status can play. Two novels that thoroughly explore these new thoughts is Nathan Hawthorn’s The House of the Seven Gables and Fanny Fern’s Ruth Hall. …show more content…
They include: distinctive characteristic traits, the philosophies of the upper and working classes, and the variety of employment opportunities they can participate in. Each is based upon a solid foundation of traditional behaviors imbedded into their culture. As both novels progress though, one can see the impact as new philosophical thoughts and influences begin to emerge. It’s through these distinctions that Hawthorne and Ruth attack social norms within their time period, introducing critical thought to the readers as the characters themselves become more aware of their circumstances within the