Final answer:
Hawthorne discusses Franklin's plan to build the wharf to highlight the contrast between practicality and romanticism.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's writing, he discusses Benjamin Franklin's plan to build the wharf as a means of highlighting the stark contrast between Franklin's practical and industrious nature and Hawthorne's more romantic and introspective character. Hawthorne is known for his focus on the inner thoughts and emotions of his characters, and by discussing Franklin's plan to build a wharf, he symbolically represents the societal pressure to conform to material success and practicality. This theme is further explored throughout Hawthorne's works.