Nathaniel Hawthorne 1804-1864

Born in Salem, Mass. on July 4, 1804 His father, a sea captain, died when he was four His great-grandfather was a judge for the

witchcraft trials in Salem

His young life was spent living in a relative’s home, which he later called “Castle Dismal.”

1821-1825: attended Bowdoin College; he became friends with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Franklin Pierce

1828: Published Fanshawe, a book that he later hated. So, he tried to buy and burn all of the copies.

1837: Published Twice Told Tales, which stared his career.

1839-1840: Worked at Boston Custom House (position as a measurer of salt and coal).

Brook Farm is established (a utopian community in West Roxbury, Masschusetts). Founded by a member of the Transcendental Club; it was

an experiment in “communal living” (socialism).

1842: Married Sophia Peabody

1846: Published Mosses from The Old Manse (a book of short stories that he wrote while living in his house, The Old Manse)

1846-1849: Worked at The Salem Custom House. However, he was fired after political change. The Custom House is a place where people

document goods for importing and exporting.

Salem Custom House

The Old Manse House

1850: Published The Scarlet Letter, which is the height of his career.

1851: Published The House of the Seven Gables

1852: Published The Blithedale Romance (setting is a Brook Farm- type place)

1853: Appointed by then President Franklin Pierce to be Consul to Liverpool in England. Hawthorne and his family move to England and remained in Europe until 1860.

1860: Hawthorne and his family move back to Concord, Mass.

1860: Published The Marble Faun.

1864: Died in his sleep Franklin Pierce was one of his pallbearers

Buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Massachusetts. The particular area he is buried is called “Author’s Ridge”

Herman Melville dedicated Moby Dick to Hawthorne.

Custom House Narrator is working at the Custom House.

Based on some of Hawthorne’s own experience as a surveyor

Much controversy because of it’s an unflattering portrayal of Salem and its residents.

Comes across documents and an embroidered scarlet letter A.

The documents contain the story of Hester Prynne, as documented by a man named Jonathan Pue, who researched history from the seventeenth century. 200 years before the narrator’s

The Custom House The narrator wants to write out the narrative

to Hester Prynne’s life; however, has writer’s block. Wonders what his Puritan ancestors would say

about a career in writing. Thinks they would find it frivolous.

The narrator gets fired from his job because of political changes, which motivates him to write the narrative for Hester Prynne- thus The Scarlet Letter.

Dramatic Plot

Exposition

Rising Action

Climax

FallingAction

Resolution/Denouement

http://www.hawthorneinsalem.org/Life&Times/Introduction.html

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