A Study Of Characters’ Psychology In The House Of The Seven Gables Based On Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory

Being one of the greatest Romantic writers of the19thcentury America,Nathaniel Hawthorne is a master of psychological narrative. The House of theSeven Gables which follows The Scarlet Letter is no less marvelous. This paperemploys the Need Hierarchy Theory promoted by American humanisticpsychologist Abraham Maslow to make an exquisite and systematic analysis of thepsychological needs of main characters in the story, thus revealing Hawthorne’shumanistic concern and his pursuit for spiritual home. Such an interpretationproduces a relatively novel vision to propel further researches on The House of theSeven Gables as well as Hawthorne’s other works.This paper attempts to examine the psychology of aristocrats, intellectualsand plebeians from the five spheres of physiological needs including safety needs,belongingness and love needs, esteem needs, and need for self-actualization,finding that they all have gone through a complicated process of satisfying theirpsychological needs. Though living under the house, Phoebe gained love,belongingness and esteem as a result of her confidence and capability, hoping toestablish her own home. The pauper Uncle Venner, who led a hard life wishing tolive leisurely, was respected because he was diligent and warm-hearted. Theself-reliant intellectuals, carpenter Matthew Maule and Holgrave in master of agreat deal of scientific knowledge, were enthusiastic about realizing socialequality but harbored little love or sympathy. Dominated by physiological needs,the declined and impoverished aristocrats Hepzibah and Clifford stooped todepend on a small shop for living. Cherishing a humble hope of living peacefullywith family members, they felt the threat from the outer world as well as thepowerful aristocrat, lacking a sense of safety and belongingness. The eminentnobles Colonel Pyncheon and Judge Pyncheon who lived in plenty were threatenedby hereditary disease. Their esteem based on persecuting others to pile up wealthand status was both unstable and unhealthy. It was not until the evil aristocrat(Judge Pyncheon) died that the declined aristocrats (Hepzibah and Clifford), theintellectual (Holgrave), and the plebeians (Phoebe and Uncle Venner) hadachieved their self-actualization separately. This indicates Hawthorne’santicipation for healthy personalities, harmonious human relationships, as well asa healthy and harmonious society. The differences in people’s education, social classes, and so on havecontributed to the variety of their psychological gratification. The diversity of thegratification of human psychology is intensified by rapid social changes anddevelopment. As a result, the dissatisfaction of the five degrees of humanpsychological needs is of universality in the society. At the same time, this paperasserts that the society should provide basic means of subsistence for its members,guarantee people’s lives and properties, build harmonious communities, as well asconstruct harmonious culture to gratify people’s needs for self-esteem andself-actualization.