Study Notes on Nathaniel Hawthorne and his Works.

Biography of Nathaniel Hawthorne

• Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was a prominent American author, deeply engaged with America’s history.

  • Influences on Hawthorne’s Work:

  • Prevalent nationalism during the American Romanticism era.

  • Ancestral background:

    • One ancestor was involved in persecuting Quakers.

    • Another ancestor played a notorious role in the Salem witch trials, overseeing the execution of twenty individuals.

  • Sympathy with Puritan values, despite rejecting Christianity.

    • Often portrayed a conflict between Puritan moral realism and transcendental optimism, leaning towards the Puritan viewpoint.

Writer in Training

• After Hawthorne graduated from Bowdoin College in 1825, he entered a prolonged period of literary preparation lasting twelve years.

  • During this time, he isolated himself for extensive reading and writing practice, seemingly considering it an apprenticeship.

  • He destroyed much of his early work.

  • The period culminated in 1837 with the publication of Twice-Told Tales.

Short-Story Artist

• Like Edgar Allan Poe, Hawthorne played a significant role in elevating the short story as an artistic form.

• His works often featured American settings but were imbued with universal themes of:

  • Isolation

  • Guilt

  • Pride

• Career Milestones:

  • From 1839-1841: Worked at Boston's custom house.

  • 1841: Briefly lived at Brook Farm, a transcendental community.

  • 1842: Married Sophia Peabody, who encouraged him to engage more actively with life.

  • 1846: Published a second major collection of short stories and returned to the Salem Custom House.

  • 1849: Faced political changes that led to job loss, prompting him to pursue writing more fervently.

  • 1860: Created The Scarlet Letter, a seminal work, but faced challenges in recapturing his earlier artistic control afterward.

  • Died on May 19, 1864, peacefully in New Hampshire.

Themes and Perspectives in Hawthorne's Works

• Hawthorne’s narratives often reflect on the intersection of past and present, employing historical settings while addressing contemporary themes.

• Rather than nostalgic portrayals of the past or uncritical depictions of the present, he provided evaluations of both.

  • Herman Melville noted that Hawthorne derived his understanding of humanity from Puritanism, acknowledging the gloomy aspects of his work as reflective of "Innate Depravity and Original Sin."

• His acceptance of humanity's inherent sin prompted skepticism towards the naive optimism prevalent in 19th-century literature, marking his works as reactions to the optimism in American Romanticism.

Analysis of Literary Elements

Symbol, Theme, and Foreshadowing

• The title "The Minister’s Black Veil" indicates the veil's symbolic significance within the narrative.

  • Definition of Symbol:

  • A symbol is a person, place, thing, or idea within a narrative or poem that serves a greater meaning beyond its literal definition.

  • Public Symbols vs. Private Symbols:

    • Public symbols: widely recognized across cultures.

    • Private symbols: meaning specific to an individual literary work.

• The black veil:

  • A piece of black crepe concealing the minister's face, except his mouth and chin.

  • Represents broader themes within the work.

• Example from 'The Birthmark':

  • The dominant symbol relates to the pursuit of perfection and its implications, with characters such as Georgiana and Aylmer exploring these themes.

  • Consider the use of foreshadowing to anticipate outcomes in both stories, particularly in The Birthmark.

Author’s Style

• Hawthorne's style embodies his romantic pessimism, marked by characteristics such as:

  • Allegory:

  • A narrative with both literal and implied meanings.

  • Example: The subtitle of “The Minister’s Black Veil” as “A Parable” suggests an underlying allegorical interpretation.

  • Ambiguity:

  • The inherent uncertainty in meaning complicates story interpretation.

  • E.g., in The Scarlet Letter, possible interpretations exist for the meaning of the 'A' on Dimmesdale's breast.

  • Ambivalence:

  • The coexistence of conflicting feelings between the author and subject matter, notably in the portrayal of Puritanism.

  • Reflects a complicated love-hate relationship with these values.

• Hawthorne’s writing style of difficult vocabulary, lengthy sentences, and stiff dialogue may pose challenges for modern readers but provides profound insights into human nature.

Evaluation of Views on God and Man

• In The Minister’s Black Veil, the black veil symbolizes isolation from both the congregation and broader humanity, fundamentally altering connections.

  • Consider the implications of Mr. Hooper's decision to wear the veil; how do congregants respond, and what does this reveal about Hawthorne’s view of the divine and human nature?

• In The Birthmark, Aylmer’s actions reflect an obsession with perfectibility, paralleling beliefs found in earlier authors.

  • The consequences of his experiment suggest Hawthorne’s critical perspective on man's ability to attain perfection, raising questions about the biblical accuracy of such views.

Vocabulary

• pathos (på'thos) n.: An emotional quality evoking sympathetic pity.

• unwonted (ün-won'ted) adj.: Unusual or not accustomed.

• ostentatious (ös'ten-tá'shǝs) adj.: Displaying wealth or knowledge to attract admiration or envy.

• imbue (im-byoo') tr.v.: To saturate or dye.

• portend (pôr-těnd') tr.v.: To serve as an omen or warning.

• impertinent (im-pur'tn-ǝnt) adj.: Exceeding good manners; rude or forward.

• antipathy (ăn-tip'a-the) n.: Extreme dislike; aversion.

• mitigate (mit'i-gāt) tr.v.: To make less severe; moderate.

• apprise (ǝ-priz') tr.v.: To inform or give notice to.

• recondite (rěk'an-dit') adj.: Difficult to understand; obscure.

• ephemeral (i-fém'ǝr-ǝl) adj.: Lasting for a markedly short time.

• sanguine (sǎng'gwin) adj.: Optimistically cheerful; confident.