The Parodic Feature of Hawthornian Romance in “The House of the Seven Gables”

Abstract

Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the few writers who openly said that he would create “romance” and be clearly aware of the differences between history, fiction and legend. The features of Hawthornian Romance are different with Romance in the middle ages. Based on the background of history and reality, Hawthorne described the life of ordinary Americans during the social transformation era in the pattern of Romance, but without the romanticism of romance, and its legendary and aristocratic characteristics, which can be seen as a strong feature of parody.