The Price of Telling the Truth

Evan Swensen
February 24, 2025

Nathaniel Hawthorne once wrote, “Words—so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.” Few writers understood this truth as deeply as he did.

A writer’s greatest tool, language, is deceptively simple. Words sit in neat rows in a dictionary, passive and unthreatening. But placed in the right hands, arranged with skill and intention, they can expose hypocrisy, alter public opinion, or stir emotions so deeply they linger long after the book is closed. Hawthorne spent his career wielding this power, using fiction to illuminate society’s moral failings. He did not merely write stories—he forced readers to confront their nature.

Yet, for all his influence, Hawthorne knew the cost of telling the truth.

The Weight of Family Shadows

Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804, a town still haunted by the legacy of its infamous witch trials. His ancestors played a role in them. One, Judge John Hathorne, had sentenced accused witches without remorse. The weight of that history pressed heavily on Hawthorne, enough that he added a “w” to his last name to distance himself from the past.

But history does not let go so easily.

Deeply aware of inherited guilt, Hawthorne wove themes of sin and redemption into his works. He understood moral stains do not wash away with time—his Puritan forebears had made sure of that. When he wrote The Scarlet Letter, a story of public shame and hidden suffering, he was not just crafting fiction. He was dissecting a society that punished some sins while conveniently ignoring others.

And people noticed.

While some praised The Scarlet Letter as a masterpiece, others recoiled from its unflinching critique of hypocrisy. The novel’s protagonist, Hester Prynne, refuses to be destroyed by her punishment, challenging the rigid morality of her time. Readers saw in her a quiet rebellion, a woman who carried the burden of her scarlet letter but did not let it define her. Hawthorne had not only exposed his society’s failings but had also reshaped its understanding of shame, repentance, and resilience.

Words, in the hands of a master, do not merely describe reality. They change it.

Friendships and Betrayals

Hawthorne was not a man given to public displays but valued friendship. One of his most notable connections was with President Franklin Pierce. The two had met as young men, and their bond lasted decades. When Pierce, a northern Democrat with southern sympathies, ran for office, Hawthorne wrote his campaign biography.

It was a decision he would come to regret.

Pierce’s pro-slavery stance made him one of the most unpopular presidents in American history. Hawthorne’s association with Pierce damaged his reputation as the country hurtled toward civil war. He had spent his career questioning moral certainty, yet his public support of a deeply divisive figure left many wondering where he stood.

Even his friendship with Herman Melville, author of Moby-Dick, carried its own complications. Melville admired Hawthorne deeply, even dedicating his masterpiece to him. But Hawthorne, ever private and restrained, never returned Melville’s level of enthusiasm. The younger writer, longing for intellectual companionship, found himself disappointed. Theirs was a friendship marked by admiration and unspoken distance—a reminder that even among writers, words left unsaid can shape a relationship as much as those spoken.

The Lasting Impact of Hawthorne’s Words

Few writers capture the tension between individual conscience and societal expectation as well as Hawthorne did. His works remain essential because they expose hypocrisy and ask uncomfortable questions: Who has the right to judge? What price does one pay for moral integrity? How does guilt shape identity?

Hawthorne’s influence stretched beyond literature. His exploration of sin and punishment in The Scarlet Letter laid the groundwork for future discussions on feminism and personal autonomy. The House of the Seven Gables examined the long shadow of inherited guilt, a theme still relevant in discussions about history’s lingering effects. Even his lesser-known works, such as Young Goodman Brown, explore the fragility of faith in a world filled with deception.

For modern writers, Hawthorne’s legacy offers a challenge: How will you use words if words are so potent? Will you play it safe, writing only what pleases? Or will you wield language in a way that forces readers to see the world differently?

The Power of Writing, The Urgency of Action

Hawthorne knew the stakes. He understood that once written words have a life of their own. They stir, they challenge, they provoke. And if you wait too long to speak the truth, you might find the moment has passed.

So read The Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven Gables, or his short stories. Study how he built tension, revealed human weakness, and captured the weight of shame. Then write—boldly, honestly, and without hesitation.

But don’t do it alone.

If words are as powerful as Hawthorne believed, imagine what happens when writers come together. Author Masterminds is more than just a group—it’s a gathering of authors who know their words can shape minds, shift perspectives, and maybe even change the world. If you’re serious about writing, honing your craft, and finding readers who care about your words, this is where you belong.

Email me at evan@publicationconsultants.com if you’re interested in learning more.

Because the right words, in the right hands, at the right time, can change everything.

Author Masterminds—Where Purpose, Power,
Passion, and Partnership Produce Possibilities.