Nathaniel Hawthorne
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Transcript of Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne
BackgroundBorn: Salem, Massachusetts in 1804Long line of Puritans- including
William Hathorne: One of the first Puritan Settlers in New England
John Hathorne: Magistrate in the Salem Witch Trials
Wrote novels and short storiesBecause of insufficient funds as a writer Hawthorne
worked in the Boston Custom House. After The Scarlet Letter his career took off and he
could support his family on those funds.
Style & ThemeInspired by Puritan New EnglandCombines historical romance with heavy
emphasis on symbolsHis depictions of the past are a version of
historical fiction but he simply uses it as a vehicle to expressAncestral sinGuiltRetribution
Style & ThemeCautionary tales that suggest
that guilt, sin, and evil are the most inherent natural qualities of humanity.
Moral message with deep psychological complexity.
Later works show his distaste for the Transcendentalist movement
WritingStarted as a short story writer but
he thought very little of them.Wrote four major romances:
The Scarlet Letter (1850)The House of the Seven Gables
(1851)The Blithedale Romance (1852)The Marble Faun (1860)
Also wrote some nonfiction
Custom House