As a Gothic writer, Hawthorne choose subjects similar to those chosen by Poe and Melville. What is common in the writing of all three writers?
He writes of obsession that brings about doom.
He writes of the dark side of humanity.
He writes of the loss of beautiful women.
He writes about the pure innocence of nature.
Melville and Hawthorne met early in their careers and encouraged each other to explore the less sunny side of human feeling and spiritually. (Poe wrote dark stories too as a Gothic writer.)
