In Nathaniel Hawthorns, The House of Seven Gables, Judge Pyncheon appears, in the public's perception, to be the model of austerity and morality, but these perceptions differ sharply from what Hawthorne suggests to us about the dark truths that such popular perceptions hide. Through his use of: "praiseworthy" detail; irony, illustrated by the Judges appearance; and his sarcastic tone; Hawthorne revels that Judge Pyncheon is a man capable of great cruelty.

Hawthorne goes into great detail about how wonderful the Judge is and how the community would be at a loss without him. Hawthorne goes on about his accomplishments and good deeds for eighteen lines, all the while, spewing a tone of sarcasm and distaste. "There was enough of splendid rubbish in his life to cover up and paralyze a more active a subtitle conscience than the Judge was ever troubled with." He mentions everything from always being...