Throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s literary career, he utilized multiple literary techniques. He was an example for countless writers and is still a model for authors today. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s employment of modern themes and style, along with the effect of influences on his writing, paved the way for his renowned career as an author.
One important factor in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing was the use of modern themes. The problem of guilt is a major theme in Hawthorne’s works. Hawthorne demonstrates this theme in different novels and short stories through his characters. He shows guilt forced by a character’s traditions and culture Some other themes include pride, Puritan New England, allegory, alienation, and initiation. He illustrates pride as evil and uses physical pride, spiritual pride, and intellectual pride. Early New England is a location used by Hawthorne in many of his writings. It serves as a background for his various symbols and helps the characters’ developments (Reuben).
Another one of
Hawthorne’s modern themes used in several of his works was his perspecti...
“Nathaniel Hawthorne – Biography.” The European Graduate School. The European Graduate School, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2014
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writings have been read for many years, and many of his books have been on the required reading lists in the school curricula. His works convey themes of psychology and human nature through his crafty use of allegory and symbolism. These were essential tools in addressing topics that were too radical to be publicly addressed in the nineteenth century (Magill 1). He used these techniques to criticize some part of society, which is evident in his use of satire in the religious world (Hilton 1). Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writings impacted his contemporary society, despite the fact that his criticism and ideas weren’t widely popular and accepted.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an extraordinary writer, who used real life experiences in every one of his stories. However, growing up in a Puritan society during a reformation gave Hawthorne a distorted view on God’s character. Hawthorne was intelligent, but by no means a people person, which created a pathway for him to become an author. There were a few key points in his life growing in a religion zealous society that lead him to abandon his faith. Hence, the short story of “Young Goodman Brown” representing that humans are cynical and evil, and the dangers of losing your faith in God.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was one of the first American writers to pioneer the unprecedented and unforeseen gothic genre which resulted in the exposure of darker themes across America in the 19th century. This new genre sprouted the “brooding” romantics who revolved around the human’s capacity for evil as a main theme of their works. Being one of the “brooding” romantics, Hawthorne followed the Puritans’ belief that everyone is a sinner as a result of being a descendent of the Puritans associated with the infamous Salem witchcraft trials. Not only was he related to the despicable Puritans, but also, he had to live with the guilt that his dishonorable great-great grandfather, Judge Hathorne, was “the only one who refused to apologize for his role
Out of all the great authors and poets we have studied this semester I have chosen the three that I personally enjoyed reading the most; Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allen Poe, and Walt Whitman. These three Writers stand out above the rest for each has contributed substantially to bringing forth a newly earned respect for American Writers of Literature. Up until this point in time most literature had come from European writers. Hawthorne, Poe and Whitman brought not only great works of art to our newly formed nation, but also to the world in general.
"Nathaniel Hawthorne- Biography." The European Graduate School. The European Graduate School EGS, 1997-2012. Web. 25 November 2013.
The man Nathaniel Hawthorne, an author of the nineteenth century, was born in 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts. It was there that he lived a poverty-stricken childhood without the financial support of a father, because he had passed away in 1808. Hawthorne was raised strictly Puritan, his great-grandfather had even been one of the judges in the Puritan witchcraft trials during the 1600s. This and Hawthorne’s destitute upbringing advanced his understanding of human nature and distress felt by social, religious, and economic inequities. Hawthorne was a private individual who fancied solitude with family friends. He was also very devoted to his craft of writing. Hawthorne observed the decay of Puritanism with opposition; believing that is was a man’s responsibility to pursue the highest truth and possessed a strong moral sense. These aspects of Hawthorne’s philosophy are what drove him to write about and even become a part of an experiment in social reform, in a utopian colony at Brook Farm. He believed that the Puritans’ obsession with original sin and their ironhandedness undermined instead of reinforced virtue. As a technician, Hawthorne’s style in literature was abundantly allegorical, using the characters and plot to acquire a connection and to show a moral lesson. His definition of romanticism was writing to show truths, which need not relate to history or reality. Human frailty and sorrow were the romantic topics, which Hawthorne focused on most, using them to finesse his characters and setting to exalt good and illustrate the horrors of immorality. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s experiences as a man, incite as a philosopher and skill as a technician can be seen when reading The Scarlet Letter.
Throughout Young Goodman Brown and other works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the themes of sin and guilt constantly reoccur. Like many authors, Hawthorne used events in his life as a basis for the stories that he wrote. Hawthorne felt that ones guilt does not die with him/her but is rather passed down through the generations. Hawthorne's great-great uncle was one of the judges during the Salem witchcraft trials. Hawthorne felt a great sense of guilt because of this. Hawthorne used a great deal of symbolism to depict what would come to be known as the subconscious. In this allegory he used symbolism to speak of a dreamlike process. Hawthorne used the characters and the events of the story to create a double meaning. Symbolism and was used to show the effects of the events on the characters rather than lying in the events alone. He is not only there to explore his own sinful character but to also right the wrongs of his father, his grandfather, his church community, and his wife.
Much of Hawthorne's writing centers on New England, many works featuring moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration. His fiction works are considered part of the Romantic movement and, more specifically, Dark romanticism. His themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity, and his works often have moral messages and deep psychological complexity. His published works include novels, short stories, and a biography of his friend Franklin Pierce.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter explores guilt’s destructive physical and psychological effects on individuals in relation to an implied conscience. The human conscience exists to distinguish between right and wrong, a trait entrenched in humans throughout evolution. Scientifically speaking, the conscience resides in the anterior prefrontal cortex which performs reasoning and judgment tasks, originally developed to limit self-preservation in order to prevent self-destruction due to unrestricted competition. Often referred to as the “inner light”, the conscience allows people to feel the sensation of guilt, remorse, and conversely, integrity. The conscience has been questioned in society for ages; however, famous explanations include Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis and Charles Darwin’s evolution, as well as various religious interpretations. Hawthorne’s novel reveals the timeless influence of the conscience in human society and individual action across all eras by using various reflective materials as devices to demonstrate the physical manifestation guilt for each character. Those who sought truth find themselves elated without the burden of guilt with clear, brightly illuminated reflections; however, the identities of those who attempt to justify sin against their conscience become unrecognizable, later reflected through the physical manifestation of their psychological instability, therefore altering the perception of their identity.
Lathrop, G. P., ed. "Hawthorne, Nathaniel." The Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature. Binghamton, New York: Vail-Ballou, 1962. 439-40. Print.
It is no secret that Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Minister’s Black Veil” is a parable. Hawthorne intended it as such and even gave the story the subtitle “a parable.” “The Minister’s Black Veil,” however, was not Hawthorne’s only parable. Hawthorne often used symbols and figurative language to give added meaning to the literal interpretations of his work. His Puritan ancestry also influenced much of Hawthorne’s work. Instead of agreeing with Puritanism however, Hawthorne would criticize it through the symbols and themes in his stories and parables. Several of these symbols and themes reoccur in Hawthorne’s “The Minister’s Black Veil,” “Young Goodman Brown”, and The Scarlet Letter.
Throughout the novel, Hawthorne discusses the themes of sin, guilt, and how society affects the shaping of an individual's character. He addresses the issue of hypocrisy and how hidden guilt can affect someone. He also portrays the nature of evil in human form. Purity, honesty, and joyfulness are symbolized by little Pearl. He wrote this romance to express himself and show the oppression of the society and the community in which he lived in. Hester's struggle against society is similar to his own. Both, he and Hester, resist Puritan values and beliefs. The society Hawthorne lived in discouraged him and stopped him from pursuing his passion in writing, but he still continues to write. His novel shows the inner conflicts of individuals, the conflicts between them and society, and discloses the truth of the human heart.
The best way to remember an event is to write it down. By having a physical paper of your experiences and thoughts, it is effortless to be brought back to that event by reading your own personal writings. Nathaniel Hawthorne took his time to write about the time he met President Abraham Lincoln in 1862. The Civil War broke out a year previous to when Hawthorne met President Lincoln. The country was divided, either in support of President Lincoln and the Union or the Confederacy. Hawthorne's position portrayed toward the President is positive and in support of. He is able to put those who have read his personal thoughts directly into his shoes, nearly a century ago, by the use of rhetorical devices. Hawthorne portrays an attitude of awe by
Nathaniel Hawthorne's works are notable for their treatment of guilt and the complexities of moral choices. "Moral and religious concerns, in short, are almost always present in Hawthorne's work"(Foster, 56). Given Hawthorne's background, it is not a stretch of the imagination to say that his novels are critiques of Puritanism. Hawthorne lived in the deeply scarred New England area, separated from Puritanism by only one generation. His grandfather had been one of the judges in the Salem Witch Trials. Personal issues include the various ways Hawthorne's family and specific events in his life influenced his writing. Readers can easily recognize how "Young Goodman Brown" incorporates facts about his Puritan ancestors. Father Hooper in "The Minister's Black Veil" may be symbolically paralleled to Hawthorne's ancestors, trying to hide a sin they have committed. His descendants' remarks on him in The Custom House introduction to The Scarlet Letter mix pride in Hawthorne's prominence and a sense of inherited guilt for his deeds as judge. Hawthorne's guilt of wrongs committed by his ancestors was paramount in the development of his literary career. He investigates human weaknesses through the time period of his ancestors. Generally Hawthorne's writings contained powerful symbolic and psychological effects of pride, guilt, sin and punishment.