Nathaniel Hawthorne
By: Jake Mayes
Early Life
Nathaniel was born July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. His family had a long history in England connecting him to his father and Puritanism. To distinguish himself from the long family legacy Nathaniel added a "W" to Hathorne so no body would confuse him with his father, or any of his ancestors. When Nathaniel was 4 his father died of Yellow
fever. So Nathaniel's upbringing was left to his mother.
Education
Hawthorne had no desire to go to college, because he felt like he already knew what he wanted to do with his life. Nathaniel wanted to be an author. Even though he wasn't interested in a larger education Nathaniel enrolled in Bowdoin College in 1821 to appease his mother and uncle. Especially after Nathaniel's Uncle helped fiancee his higher education because it was so hard for his single mom to pay for college all on her own.
Popular writings
Scarlet Letter
A women is publicly shamed by her town after she commits adultery and refuses to give up the name of her lover.
Mosses from an Old Manse
These are many tales that mainly all look upon the negative side of human nature.
The House of the Seven Gables
In the book, Hawthorne shows themes of guilt, retribution, and atonement and expresses the story with suggestions of the supernatural and witchcraft.
Nathaniel's writing connection
Nathaniel Hawthorne's writing crosses between Gothic ideas and Romanticism. His most famous work was the "Scarlet Letter" which crossed these 2 types of writing he was so famous for. A young women who was caught committing adultery and forced to wear an A on her chest as public shame for the whole Puritan community to see. This morbid shame for the town to see reflects Nathaniel's gothic ideas, but through it all she will not give up the name of her lover. This shows the romantic side of the women, even through it all she still loves the man enough to not say his name to the people who are shaming her
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Work cited
"Nathaniel Hawthorne - Biography." Nathaniel Hawthorne. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Nathaniel Hawthorne Major Works."Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 16 Dec. 2014.