"Phoebe, as her name suggests, is the source of light in the darkened world
of the Pyncheon household. She is the most frequently criticized of Hawthorne's
heroines, seeming too good and simple to be true. Hawthorne anticipates this
reaction within his narrative as he cautions the reader against a superficial
glance at Phoebe. He suggests that Phoebe has not been unduly influenced by
the modern world she inhabits. She finds spiritual devotions a natural part
of her life and is linked to the natural world through images of light and association
with flowers. Phoebe is one with her environment, and as she draws brightness
from the natural world, she radiates it to the human world around her" (98).
(courtesy Greenwood Press)
