Nathaniel Hawthorne: An Author that Influenced and Reshaped our Literature

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America is a melting pot. Our leaders, immigrants from other countries, successes, and tragedies, are constantly changing this nation. American food, music, and ideals are also constantly being modified. American literature is no exception. Many great writers have influenced and reshaped our literature, and Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of them. He faced his problems and moved on. He was and is one of the most influential American writers, and he is more than a writer.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel and Elizabeth Hawthorne. His original last name was Hathorne, but he added the 'w' when he started writing to avoid confusion with his great-grandfather John Hathorne, a Salem Witch Trial judge. His grandfather was a Revolutionary War veteran, and his father, who died when he was three, was a sea captain. He also had two sisters, Elizabeth and Maria Louisa. After his father died, the Hawthorne family was poor, so his maternal grandfather, Richard Manning brought them to Lake Sebago, Maine (it was actually part of Massachusetts at that time). Considering his family history, it is not surprising that he became interested in history at a young age. His other passion was writing, and he often exchanged poems with his critical sister Elizabeth (Wineapple, 153).
Even though Nathaniel protested, Nathaniel had a college education. His uncle financed it. Nathaniel had already decided what he wanted to be. He said, "I do not want to be a doctor and live by men's diseases, nor a minister and live by their sins, nor a lawyer and live by their quarrels. So, I don't see that there is anything left but to be an author (www.egs.edu)." He entered Bowdoin College in 1821. At college, Nathaniel constantly...

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... his occupation. He overcame his feelings of rejection and lack of talent, and persevered when his early works did not work out. His masterpiece, The Scarlet Letter, is still required reading in many schools, and it has been translated into many languages. In America's changing literature and

Works Cited

Epstein, Joseph, ed. Literary Genius, 25 Classic Writers Who Define American Literature. Philadelphia: Paul Dry Books, 2007.
Luebering, J. E, ed. The 100 Most Influential Writers of All Time. New York: Britannica Educational Publishing, 2010.
Means, Richard. "Nathaniel Hawthorne." Nathaniel Hawthorne (2006): 1. Publisher Provided Full Text Searching File. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
"Nathaniel Hawthorne – Biography," www.egs.edu/library/nathaniel-hawthorne/biography/, found Mar. 12, 2014.
Wineapple, Brenda. Hawthorne, a life. Toronto, New York: Random House, 2003.

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