Nathaniel Hawthorne 1804-1864

Born in Salem, Massachusetts on July 4, 1804Five generations removed from his Puritan American ancestors

Nathaniel Hawthorne1804-1864College yearsHawthorne attended Bowdoin College (1821-1825) in SalemThere he befriended poet LongfellowHe engrossed himself in historical study and learning the writers craftOf himself he said he was always reading.

Hawthornes LifeHawthorne became secretly engaged to Sophia Peabody in 1838.He tried a short stint of living in a commune, but decided he didnt like it and couldnt bring his bride thereSo, he married Sophia in 1842 and they settled in Concord

Hawthornes Literary CareerHe published his first novel, Fanshawe, in 1828It was recalled and almost completely destroyedHe published a collection of short stories in Twice-Told Tales in 1837Then Hawthorne had a three year political appointment in the Salem Custom House just prior to his publication of The Scarlet Letter, published in 1850Much to Hawthornes surprise The Scarlet Letter was a success and brought him fame.The Scarlet LetterThe Scarlet Letter is considered the first symbolic novel of American LiteratureThe Puritan past of Hawthornes family led him to a long investigation of the problems of moral and social responsibilityHawthorne was also fascinated with the Calvinistic idea of the damnation of man, the consciousness of sin and its impact on the human soul. This ties to the Puritan conscience.

The Scarlet Letter cont.The Scarlet Letter A which Hester Prynne wears is not only a public sign of her adultery and a token of her humility as a confessed sinner; it is also her badge of pride in her naturalness and in defiance of her neighbors bigotry.- The Readers Companion to World Literature, Second Edition, 1984What kind of writer was Hawthorne?An American Romantic writer. He called his novels romances.

Say what?!

Well, to understand we need to look at a few terms.Symbolism:Broadly meaning the use of one object to represent another. In the mid-1800s Romanticism (romantic symbolism) became a literary movement in AmericaIn this movement the details of the natural world and the actions of people were used to suggest ideas. -A Handbook to Literature, Eighth Edition, 2000

This movement was developed by the thoughts of TranscendentalistsTranscendentalists:Live close to natureThe dignity of manual laborEmphasized spiritual livingRelationship to God through the individual rather than a ritualistic churchDemocracy and Individualism

Hawthorne was an American Romantic without being a TranscendentalistMeaningContinuedRomanticism tends to regard nature as a revelation of Truth, The Absolute, The Ideal, by transcending the actual.They also believed the individual is the center of all lifeThe individual is the center of artLiterature as the expression of unique feelings, particular attitudes and faithfully portraying experiences as they were even if incomplete.Romanticism and The Scarlet LetterHawthorne said of The Scarlet Letter, the Actual and the Imaginary may meet.

The unique thing about Hawthorne- psychological and historical realism is interwoven with his symbolic vision!Hawthornes endingHawthorne died May 18, 1864 at Plymouth, New Hampshire on a walking tour

Left behind his wife and 3 children