Nathaniel Hawthorne: Life, Background, and Influence on Romanticism
•
Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts, as
Puritanism was on the wane in the region.
•
However, Puritans still
dominated Salem itself.
•
Puritans were a
grouping of Protestants,
particularly English
Calvinists, who came to
the New World to worship God in a manner they
saw as purer in terms of Christian doctrine and
practice.
•
This is important because Hawthorne’s relatives
were Puritans in the 1600s.
•
Hawthorne’s father died when Nathaniel was four
years old; his mother was consumed by mourning as a
result. Nathaniel spent much of his childhood alone.
•
And the more Hawthorne learned about his ancestors,
his Puritan forefathers, the more withdrawn he
became.
•
William Hathorne and John
Hathorne were involved in
the persecution of suspected
witches in the 1600-1700s, of which Nathaniel was
ashamed.
•
In fact, Hawthorne added the
W
in his name to
separate himself from them.
•
Hawthorne attended Bowdoin College and
graduated in 1825.
•
When deciding on a career, Hawthorne said:
•
“I do not wish to be a doctor
and live by men’s diseases, nor
a minister to live by their sins,
nor a lawyer to live by their
quarrels. So I don’t see that
there is anything left for me to be but a writer.”
•
Soon after graduation, he wrote and published at
his own expense the novel
Fanshawe
. He decided
that it was poorly written and bought back and
burned as many copies of possible.
•
From 1825-1837, he spent his time in virtual solitude. It
was during this twelve year apprenticeship that he learned
his craft. In 1837, he published the collection
Twice-Told
Tales
. It was well-received and he was on his way.
•
In the early 1840s, Hawthorne and his wife moved to
Concord, which was filled with great minds, including
Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Bronson
Alcott, and, later, Herman Melville.
•
Aside from Melville, Hawthorne was virtually the only
one who held onto the Puritan view of humankind.
•
The others talked of humankind’s goodness and
ability to reason effectively on his own, a clear effect
of the Enlightenment.
•
A man of his time, Hawthorne was a “romantic.”
•
Like Washington Irving, William Cullen Bryant, Edgar
Allan Poe, and others, Hawthorne was a romantic in
terms of his writing.
•
This means that stories were often set in the past, and
they usually have a distant feel
•
Supernatural forces are often involved
•
Above all romantics seek more to illustrate a point
rather than to portray what is actually real
•
It was in this romantic sense that Hawthorne expressed
his views of humankind.
•
Hawthorne thought that the darker side of the human
heart was being overlooked.
•
In Hawthorne’s view, humankind might have good
intentions, but we are ultimately unable to escape our
natural state: we are evil, sinful, tormented by guilt,
brought down by pride, and intolerant to the extreme.
•
This pride was the unpardonable sin to Hawthorne.
•
In Hawthorne’s view, he was never really able to
separate himself from the
inherited guilt
that was
passed to him from his ancestors.
•
This belief is based on the concept of
original sin
from
Adam and Eve that passes to all of humankind. We are,
at our cores, “fallen” beings who are inherently evil
because of our lineage back to the Garden of Eden.
•
Hawthorne held this view, and he believed that the
acceptance of our evil natures was better than denial of
it. This is a particularly important detail because
Hawthorne saw the intolerance of the Puritans towards
other sins as the worst sin of all: PRIDE—the belief that
one is better than someone else.
•
In Hawthorne’s view, since we are all sinners, we should
try to understand each other and show compassion
rather than judgment.
•
Pride, for Hawthorne, was the “unpardonable sin,”
mainly because of its natural effects.
•
To Hawthorne pride could lead to isolation—whether
the isolation is caused by the self or community—and
this isolation could cause suffering, even to the point
that the prideful person is destroyed.
•
In 1850, Hawthorne published
The Scarlet Letter
, his
most famous work.
•
It is the story of love, vengeance, sin, isolation, and
suffering that envelops the lives of Hester Prynne,
Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingsworth.
•
Some critics ripped the book for its sympathetic
portrayal of an adulteress.
•
Hawthorne’s other novels included
The House of the
Seven Gables
,
The Blithedale Romance
, and
The Marble
Faun
.
•
In addition, he produced some excellent short stories,
including
Young Goodman Brown
,
Dr. Heidegger’s
Experiment
, and
The Minister’s Black Veil
.
•
Even though they contend with spirituality, his works
are deeply psychological and offer some deep insights
into humankind.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, born in Salem to a Puritan background, faced family history shadows and solitude. Despite an initial setback with his writing, he emerged as a prominent figure in American Romanticism. With a unique style, Hawthorne contributed to the literary movement focusing on past settings and supernatural elements.
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Presentation Transcript
Nathaniel Hawthorne Background Nathaniel Hawthorne Background Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts, as Puritanism was on the wane in the region. However, Puritans still dominated Salem itself. Puritans were a grouping of Protestants, particularly English Calvinists, who came to the New World to worship God in a manner they saw as purer in terms of Christian doctrine and practice. This is important because Hawthorne s relatives were Puritans in the 1600s.
Nathaniel Hawthorne Background Nathaniel Hawthorne Background Hawthorne s father died when Nathaniel was four years old; his mother was consumed by mourning as a result. Nathaniel spent much of his childhood alone. And the more Hawthorne learned about his ancestors, his Puritan forefathers, the more withdrawn he became. William Hathorne and John Hathorne were involved in the persecution of suspected witches in the 1600-1700s, of which Nathaniel was ashamed. In fact, Hawthorne added the W in his name to separate himself from them.
Nathaniel Hawthorne Background Nathaniel Hawthorne Background Hawthorne attended Bowdoin College and graduated in 1825. When deciding on a career, Hawthorne said: I do not wish to be a doctor and live by men s diseases, nor a minister to live by their sins, nor a lawyer to live by their quarrels. So I don t see that there is anything left for me to be but a writer. Soon after graduation, he wrote and published at his own expense the novel Fanshawe. He decided that it was poorly written and bought back and burned as many copies of possible.
Hawthorne Background & Style Hawthorne Background & Style From 1825-1837, he spent his time in virtual solitude. It was during this twelve year apprenticeship that he learned his craft. In 1837, he published the collection Twice-Told Tales. It was well-received and he was on his way. In the early 1840s, Hawthorne and his wife moved to Concord, which was filled with great minds, including Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Bronson Alcott, and, later, Herman Melville. Aside from Melville, Hawthorne was virtually the only one who held onto the Puritan view of humankind. The others talked of humankind s goodness and ability to reason effectively on his own, a clear effect of the Enlightenment. A man of his time, Hawthorne was a romantic.
Hawthorne & Romanticism Hawthorne & Romanticism Like Washington Irving, William Cullen Bryant, Edgar Allan Poe, and others, Hawthorne was a romantic in terms of his writing. This means that stories were often set in the past, and they usually have a distant feel Supernatural forces are often involved Above all romantics seek more to illustrate a point rather than to portray what is actually real
Hawthorne & His Philosophy in Writing Hawthorne & His Philosophy in Writing It was in this romantic sense that Hawthorne expressed his views of humankind. Hawthorne thought that the darker side of the human heart was being overlooked. In Hawthorne s view, humankind might have good intentions, but we are ultimately unable to escape our natural state: we are evil, sinful, tormented by guilt, brought down by pride, and intolerant to the extreme. This pride was the unpardonable sin to Hawthorne.
Hawthorne & His Philosophy in Writing Hawthorne & His Philosophy in Writing In Hawthorne s view, he was never really able to separate himself from the inherited guilt that was passed to him from his ancestors. This belief is based on the concept of original sin from Adam and Eve that passes to all of humankind. We are, at our cores, fallen beings who are inherently evil because of our lineage back to the Garden of Eden. Hawthorne held this view, and he believed that the acceptance of our evil natures was better than denial of it. This is a particularly important detail because Hawthorne saw the intolerance of the Puritans towards other sins as the worst sin of all: PRIDE the belief that one is better than someone else. In Hawthorne s view, since we are all sinners, we should try to understand each other and show compassion rather than judgment.
His Philosophy in Writing & Major Works His Philosophy in Writing & Major Works Pride, for Hawthorne, was the unpardonable sin, mainly because of its natural effects. To Hawthorne pride could lead to isolation whether the isolation is caused by the self or community and this isolation could cause suffering, even to the point that the prideful person is destroyed. In 1850, Hawthorne published The Scarlet Letter, his most famous work. It is the story of love, vengeance, sin, isolation, and suffering that envelops the lives of Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingsworth. Some critics ripped the book for its sympathetic portrayal of an adulteress.
Other Works and Final Thoughts Other Works and Final Thoughts Hawthorne s other novels included The House of the Seven Gables, The Blithedale Romance, and The Marble Faun. In addition, he produced some excellent short stories, including Young Goodman Brown, Dr. Heidegger s Experiment, and The Minister s Black Veil. Even though they contend with spirituality, his works are deeply psychological and offer some deep insights into humankind.
