Nathaniel Hawthorne The Literary Conscience
Nathaniel Hawthorne's works established him as one of the most unique authors of the 19th century. With works such as The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne not only entertained his audience, he made them look at their own life and compare it to 17th century Puritan New England. He also brought readers to the realization of how harsh and difficult the period of American History was. Hawthorne's unique style of writing and his ability to probe deep into the human conscience made him one of Early America's most greatly admired authors. The Hawthornes had already left their legacy with the town of Salem leaving Nathaniel Hawthorne a long rich history of ancestry in the town. In 1630, William Hawthorne made the Journey to the New World with John Winthrop, the first governor of Massachusetts. Two of Hawthorne's relatives who were directly involved with the Salem witch trials, also left their mark on the town. Hawthorne carried a direct relation to Judge Hathorne himself, being the primary cause of Hawthorne later adding a "w" to his name. Anot
While at the Old Manse, Hawthorne published a novel based on his experiences at Brook Farm. The narrator of the tale, Miles Cloverdale, symbolizes the same skeptical overseer at Brook Farm. Many other characters in the book are based on acquaintances at Brook farm (Cohen 67). At the age of nine, one of the most significant events in Hawthorne's life occurred. The typical New England boy, Hawthorne was very physically active and athletic. One fateful day, while Hawthorne was playing ball, he injured his foot. Not only was his foot damaged, but it grew together improperly and created a problem which would ail him for the rest of his life. Finally, Hawthorne had had enough of Salem. He packed his bags and moved to Lenox, Massachusetts. The citizens of Salem that had not resented him after The Scarlet Letter's publishing despised him now. He hated the town so much that when he left he stated, "I am now a citizen of somewhere else" (Manley 136). Once again Hawthorne decided it was time to move on. He packed up again and moved back to Concorde. He purchased the deed to a house he called "The Wayside," which was the former home of Louisa May Alcott. Hawthorne was extremely resentful at his removal from his position at the Customs House. After leaving the Customs House, Hawthorne published the novel The Scarlet Letter. In the introduction to the novel, Hawthorne dedicated two paragraphs to express his contempt of the town of Salem. Although this angered many Salemites, the book became very popular, even with many Salemites. According to John Clendenning, "The novel is controlled by a single idea - the suffering that results from sin"(114). In the book, Hawthorne reveals that in Puritan New England, a sinner was not necessarily physically isolated, but socially isolated. This isolation led to the suffering of Hester Prynne. This romance can be easily felt by its audience as well as understood. We sympathize with Hester Prynne although she has committed a crime. Such was the power of Hawthorne's work. In 1850, while Hawthorne was on a picnic, he met a man named Herman Melville. Both had read each other's writings and done favorable reviews on them. In the course of the meeting, a thunderstorm came up forcing them to take shelter. During this time, they became better acquainted. As they became good friends, Melville would frequently ride to Hawthorne's to visit him or they would take walks and discuss each other's works. In 1851, Melville published Moby Dick and dedicated it to Hawthorne because of his love for the sea. When they reached London, they found their hotel boring and drab, however, the children found delight in a fish tank in the basement which contained turtles. Later they moved to a hotel often frequented by sea captains whom Hawthorne frequently conversed with. There he met a man named Henry Bright who wrote of Hawthorne a parody of "Song of Hiawatha" called "Song of Consul Hawthorne." Later he would meet Elizabeth Barrette Browning and her husband Robert with whom he would become good friends.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 3092
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)
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