Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne
	Nathaniel Hawthorne in the 1860s
Born	July 4, 1804; Salem, Massachusetts
Died	May 19, 1864 (aged 59); Plymouth, New Hampshire

Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American writer. He was born in Salem, Massachusetts.

Hawthorne published several well-known books, including The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables.

Life

Early life

Hawthorne's father was named William Hathorne. (Hawthorn added the "w" to separate himself from the family.) Hathorne died from yellow fever when Hawthorne was four years old. He had two sisters. Hawthorne’s mother, Elizabeth, had a wealthy brother, so after Hawthorne’s father died, they lived with Elizabeth’s brother. Because of Hawthorne’s wealthy uncle, he attended a very good college: Bowdoin College.

After college

During his college time, Hawthorne met and befriended Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and future-president Franklin Pierce. After finishing college, Hawthorne returned home and began to write novels. He published his first work in 1828.

He married Sophia Peabody in 1842. They had three children. The family moved about Massachusetts for a few years, but finally settled in Concord, Massachusetts.

Hawthorne had three children: one son and two daughters. His last daughter, Rose, was born In 1851.

Later years

Hawthorne's mother died in 1848. He struggled with grief and became very sad. The Scarlet Letter was written down when he was in this condition.

In 1853, President Franklin Pierce gave Hawthorne a political appointment as U.S. Consul in Liverpool. However, in 1857, Hawthorne lost this position.

Before Hawthorne died, he published his last works, “Our Old Home “ and “The Marble Faun”. On May 19, 1864, Hawthorne died in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Works

Hawthorne's works belong to the cultural movement called romanticism.^[1] His novels and short stories are cautionary tales. They suggest that guilt, sin, and evil are the most inherent natural qualities of humanity.^[2]

Many of his works are inspired by Puritan New England.^[3] They combine historical romance loaded with symbolism and deep psychological themes. They border upon surrealism.^[4]

His depictions of the past are a version of historical fiction used only as a vehicle to express common themes of ancestral sin, guilt and retribution.^[5]

His first novel, Fanshawe, was published anonymously in 1828. Some short stories were published in 1837 as Twice-Told Tales.

Hawthorne published The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850. The House of the Seven Gables was published in 1851. A political appointment sent Hawthorne and his family to Europe. They returned to Massachusetts in 1860.

Hawthorne died on May 19, 1864.

Influence on society

Hawthorne’s books are still very popular now, as many students are still reading his books today. Hawthorne’s books are very useful in education.

As his books reflect many dark parts in American History, they are very good sources to help people learn about history. Also, his books were the very good examples of the Romantic Era of literature.

Selected works

Twice-Told Tales (short stories, 1837)
Mosses from an Old Manse (short stories, 1846)
The Scarlet Letter (novel, 1850)
The House of the Seven Gables (novel, 1851)
The Snow-Image, and Other Twice-Told Tales (short stories, 1852)
A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys (children's stories, 1852)
Tanglewood Tales (short stories, 1853)
The Marble Faun (novel, 1860)

References

↑ Reynolds, David S. Beneath the American Renaissance: The Subversive Imagination in the Age of Emerson and Melville. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1988: 524. ISBN 978-0-674-06565-9
↑ Wayne, Tiffany K. (2006). Encyclopedia of Transcendentalism. Facts on File. ISBN 978-0-8160-5626-2.
↑ Bell, Michael Davitt (1971). Hawthorne and the Historical Romance of New England. Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-06136-8.
↑ Howe, Daniel Walker (2007). What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-507894-7.
↑ Crews, 28–29

[1] Reynolds, David S. Beneath the American Renaissance: The Subversive Imagination in the Age of Emerson and Melville. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1988: 524. ISBN 978-0-674-06565-9

[2] Wayne, Tiffany K. (2006). Encyclopedia of Transcendentalism. Facts on File. ISBN 978-0-8160-5626-2.

[3] Bell, Michael Davitt (1971). Hawthorne and the Historical Romance of New England. Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-06136-8.

[4] Howe, Daniel Walker (2007). What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-507894-7.

[5] Crews, 28–29

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