... presenting all observable evidence as obscured, Hawthorne forces us to face a deep-seated desire for clarity in the world. Without this clarity, we, like Phoebe, become fearful-however, the pervasiveness of ambiguity challenges us to consider how indistinct our world truly may be, and if it is as ambiguous as the world of The House of the Seven Gables, why we feel entitled to clarity in an unclear world. Having laid ... the foundation of imperfect, indiscernible evidence in his creation of suspense through style and diction, Hawthorne begins to drop hints regarding the nature of the evi...

• Word Count: 1547
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Graduate