Chapter XXIV: Conclusion

The author explains his tendency to write autobiographically, addressing a select few readers as if they were close friends.

The author explains this sketch authenticates the main narrative and describes the setting and characters of his Custom-House life.

On rare occasions when ships arrive, the Custom-House briefly comes alive with shipmasters, owners, clerks, and sailors.

More often, the Custom-House is a quiet place, occupied by a row of old, sleeping officers.

Despite its dull appearance, the author feels a deep, instinctual affection for his native town of Salem.

The author reflects on his connection to his earliest Puritan ancestors, acknowledging their strengths and their persecuting zeal.

The author imagines his stern Puritan ancestors scorning him as a degenerate "writer of story-books," yet feels their traits in himself.

The author describes his family's long, instinctual connection to Salem, which he feels is an unhealthy bond that must be severed.

The author's attachment to Salem led him to the Custom-House, where he found himself in command of aged sea-captains.

As a non-politician, the new Surveyor surprises the old Whig officers by not firing them, allowing them to continue their idle habits.

The Surveyor grows fond of the old officers, whose occasional jollity resembles either childish mirth or decaying wood's phosphorescence.

The author describes the aged Inspector, a man of perfect physical health but with minimal intellect, feeling, or soul.

The Inspector, having no soul, is a perfect gourmand whose greatest talent is recollecting and describing meals from decades past.

The author describes the Collector, an old General and war hero, now infirm but still possessing an inner light and dignity.

The author discerns the General's core qualities of integrity, benevolence, and ponderous endurance, like the ruins of an old fortress.

The author observes the General sitting remotely amidst the office bustle, likely reliving his past glories in his mind.

The author recalls the General's famous words and describes another colleague, a man perfectly and naturally suited to his business role.

The author reflects on how his Custom-House companions provided a necessary change from his previous life among transcendentalist thinkers.

The author found he could be a competent man of affairs, learning the hard lesson of a literary man's insignificance outside his circle.

The author describes finding a trove of old, forgotten documents in the Custom-House attic, materials of potential local history.

Rummaging through old documents, the author finds a parchment package containing the papers of a predecessor, Surveyor Jonathan Pue.

Inside the package, the author finds a worn piece of red cloth embroidered with a golden "A," which strangely interests him.

Placing the letter on his breast causes a burning sensation, and he then finds Surveyor Pue's manuscript explaining the symbol's history.

The author feels as if the ghost of Surveyor Pue has appeared and charged him with bringing Hester Prynne's story to light.

The Custom-House atmosphere stifles the author's imagination, making it impossible for him to bring the characters of his story to life.

The author's creative torpor persists even at night, though he reflects on how moonlight can transform a familiar room into a creative space.