The villainous Colonel Pyncheon wrongly accused the innocent Matthew Maule of witchcraft so that the Maule land would fall into the Pyncheon family's hands. ... What Hawthorne saw handed down through the generations were not material unreality's such as gold and family position, but inescapable traits of character . ... Even though approaching old age, Jeffrey would still persecute his cousins for a wealth that would only pass momentarily through his hand before his own death. ... Her selfish desire to remain in the past, in the time when she would not have to soil her h...

• Word Count: 2711
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: High School