# Obsession and Philanthropy in The Blithedale Romance

> Theme guide for The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Hollingsworth's single-minded devotion to reforming criminals is portrayed as a destructive 'overruling purpose' that dehumanizes him, ultimately ruining his heart and leading to tragedy, illustrating the peril of allowing one idea to consume the self.

## Where it surfaces

- [The Convalescent](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/vii-the-convalescent): Hollingsworth's single-minded devotion to his criminal reform scheme is portrayed as a consuming, dehumanizing obsession that overrides genuine human connection.
- [A Modern Arcadia](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/viii-a-modern-arcadia): Hollingsworth's powerful influence over Zenobia and Priscilla, and Coverdale's suspicion that Hollingsworth is making proselytes, hints at an obsessive philanthropic mission.
- [IX: Hollingsworth, Zenobia, Priscilla](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/ix-hollingsworth-zenobia-priscilla): Hollingsworth's all-consuming philanthropic purpose is portrayed as dehumanizing, turning him into a mere instrument of his own ideology.
- [XI: The Wood-Path](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xi-the-wood-path): Westervelt's mocking description of Hollingsworth's philanthropic scheme highlights the obsessive nature of reformist zeal and its potential for manipulation.
- [XII: Coverdale's Hermitage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xii-coverdale-s-hermitage): Hollingsworth's driving of oxen symbolizes his obsessive, single-minded pursuit of reform.
- [XV: A Crisis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xv-a-crisis): Hollingsworth's single-minded pursuit of his philanthropic goal leads him to demand total loyalty and to consider sacrificing personal ethics.
- [XVIII: The Boardinghouse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xviii-the-boardinghouse): Coverdale's obsessive preoccupation with the fates of Hollingsworth, Zenobia, and Priscilla, despite his attempt to leave them behind.
- [XIX: Zenobia’s Drawing-Room](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xix-zenobia-s-drawing-room): Hollingsworth's single-minded devotion to his reform idea is discussed as both noble and absurd.
- [XX: They Vanish](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xx-they-vanish): Coverdale's persistent focus on Hollingsworth and his sense of duty to intervene reflect an obsessive concern, while Zenobia accuses him of meddling under the guise of duty.
- [A Village Hall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xxiii-a-village-hall): Coverdale's lingering fixation on his Blithedale companions and Hollingsworth's intense focus on Priscilla reflect obsessive attachments.
- [The Three Together](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xxv-the-three-together): Hollingsworth's obsession with his philanthropic project is exposed as a cold, self-centered mechanism that destroys those around him.
- [Blithedale Pasture](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xxviii-blithedale-pasture): Hollingsworth's exclusive philanthropic obsession is shown to have ruined his heart, leading to a life of guilt and melancholy.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/themes/obsession_and_philanthropy
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/themes