Nat Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864)

  • Henry James's Recognition: In 1879, Henry James referred to Hawthorne as "the most valuable example of American genius," stressing his significance as a fiction writer in the antebellum period.

  • Literary Contributions: Celebrated for his prose style, psychological depth, character development (especially of female characters), and his renderings of New England history.

  • Elusiveness in Writing: Hawthorne maintained an aesthetic of ambiguity, avoiding straightforward morals in his narratives, which contributed to the mysterious quality of his work.

Early Life and Education

  • Birth: Born on July 4, 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts; descended from prominent Puritan ancestors, including a judge involved in the Salem witch trials.

  • Family Background: After his father's death at sea in 1808, Hawthorne moved in with his maternal relatives, leading to his love for reading.

  • Early Injuries and Influence: A foot injury in 1813 kept him home from school, prompting extensive reading and introducing him to various British novelists, shaping his literary ambitions.

  • Bowdoin College: Enrolled at Bowdoin College at age 17, forming connections with future influential figures like Franklin Pierce and Horatio Bridge, who later supported his literary endeavors.

Literary Development

  • First Publications: Published his first novel, Fanshawe, in 1828 at his own expense, which received negative reviews. During the 1830s, struggled to publish stories despite trying various avenues, including literary annuals and editing a magazine.

  • Twice-Told Tales: In 1837, Twice-Told Tales was published, benefiting from the support of family and friends, marking an important step in Hawthorne's career with positive reviews in both America and England.

Personal Life

  • Marriage and Family: Secretly engaged to Sophia Peabody, married her in 1842. They had three children, including Una and Julian, and faced financial struggles leading to various positions held by Hawthorne, including a customs measure job.

  • Influential Friends: Had friendships with prominent writers and thinkers, participating actively in the literary communities of Concord, Massachusetts.

Major Works and Themes

  • The Scarlet Letter: Published in 1850 after a notable tenure at the Salem Custom House. Despite mixed reviews, it achieved popularity, especially for its complex characters like Hester Prynne.

  • Strong Female Characters: Featured strong female leads in several works, reflecting nuanced insights on patriarchy and gender.

Later Life and Final Years

  • Declining Health: Faced personal tragedy with a sickly daughter and his deteriorating health. His writing output slowed as he navigated through the societal turmoil of the Civil War.

  • Death: Died in May 1864 while on a trip to New Hampshire with Franklin Pierce. Buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, with notable figures among his pallbearers.

Young Goodman Brown: Summary

  • Opening Scene: Goodman Brown departs for a journey in Salem, exchanging goodbyes with his wife, Faith, who expresses concern about his trip.

    • him and his wife haven’t been married long, but have a good relationship

      • wife doesn’t really want him to go yet (she is faith)

  • Journey into the Forest: As Brown traverses the lonely path, he encounters a mysterious older man with a serpent-like staff, who reveals troubling connections to his ancestors' pasts.

    • older man = satan, the devil

      • his staff is how we are able to tell, and a woman from the town recognizes him

  • Moral Dilemma: Brown wrestles with his motives for traveling and his responsibilities to Faith.

Meeting and Revelation

  • Sinister Gathering: Brown discovers a congregation of respected townspeople participating in ritualistic behavior seemingly connected to darkness and evil, raising questions about their true moral standings.

    • Includes the minister

  • Faith's Undermining: At the climax, Brown sees Faith among the witches, leading to a moment of despair as he abandons his previously held virtuous beliefs.

Themes and Morality

  • Loss of Innocence: Brown ultimately loses faith in humanity and relationships, characterized by deep paranoia and mistrust of those around him.

  • Effect of Experience on Faith: His journey signifies the loss of purity and idealism, transforming him into a weary, distrustful individual unable to reconcile his experiences with his beliefs.

IN CLASS NOTES

  • sarah - was an actual woman who was accused of witch craft

  • everyone is hanging out at this devils party, the people that he is supposed to trust and the people that he respects

  • it would really upset his wife if she knew what he was doing

    • it’s just one night and then he’ll be “good”

  • venturing in to forest, forest = uncivilized

    • filled with creatures and the native americans

    • place of action

    • “What if the devil himself should be at my elbow” - FORESHADOWING!!!!!!!!!

  • hawthorne was writing during the Second Great Awakening

    • religious revival

  • really trying to stop going on the walk with the “devil”

  • talks about how his family wouldn’t have gone on this journery

    • devil explains how he already knows browns family

      • granfather during Salem Witch Trials

      • father during a battle with the indias

    • devil is syaing that browns family isn’t as amazing as he thinks they are (not as christan)

  • DISILLUTIONMENT

    • not only in cahoots with family, but also church and other prominent people

  • sees now the corruption in the church and high up people

  • still trying to hold onto his faith

  • he can hear a woman, he calls for faith and the forest echo’s it back as a sort of way to mock him

    • honestly is kind of sad he seems to be like trippin out and he has lost his wife

  • coomes to a sort of baptism/sacrifice esc sort of event

    • actually call it a comunion

    • sees both saints and sinners

  • still looking for Faith - after finding her ribbons

  • father vs mother

    • father says to come forward

    • mother says to stay back

      • men are leaders while women are more innocient and forces of good

  • he came back from the whole experience questioning everything - lost his faith in humanity

    • questioned himself - was he asleep or did it really happen

      • if he was asleep was it a kind of a sign

    • questioned all of the people around him even his wife

      • negatively affects their marrige and his relationship with his family

      • when he dies there is nothing really positive on his headstone

        • “And whe he had lived long, and was bornne to his grave, a hoary corpse, followed by Faith, an aged woman, and children and grand-children, a goodly procession, beside neighbors, not a few, they carved no hopwful verse upon hi tomb-stone; for his dying hour was gloom.”

  • god isn’t in the story at all really

    • Faith possibly taking over that sort of imagery

  • story is about what happens when religion gets out of control

    • and what would be the concequences of that