Hawthorne's works belong to the cultural movement called romanticism. His novels and short stories are cautionary tales. They suggest that guilt, sin, and evil are the most inherent natural qualities of humanity. Many of his works are inspired by Puritan New England. They combine historical romance loaded with symbolism and deep psychological themes. They border upon surrealism. His depictions of the past are a version of historical fiction used only as a vehicle to express common themes of ancestral sin, guilt and retribution.