A couple of Nathaniel’s ancestors of whom he was especially ashamed were William and John Hathorne. William Hathorne was a Puritan who showed fierce prejudice against the Quakers. He ordered a public beating for Ann Coleman’s punishment, and she almost died consequently (Shepherd iv). John Hathorne was a judge who sentenced many people to death during the Salem witch trials. He was the ... ... middle of paper ... ...ter.
"Young Goodman Brown" was published in 1835, when Nathaniel Hawthorne was 31 years old. Hawthorne was born and reared in Salem, Massachusetts, a village still permeated by its 17th century Puritanism. When he was four, Hawthorne's father died, and from that point on he was surrounded mostly by females: two sisters, a maiden aunt, and a retiring mother who was not close to her children. He had little contact with his deceased father's family, but his maternal relatives were supportive and saw to it that he attended college, the first in his family to do so (Turner 33). During four years at college, despite his reclusive nature, he established close friendships with his male classmates, several of which he maintained for life.
Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003. Print. Bloom, Harold. Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations: Fahrenheit 451-New Edition.
(1966). "HAWTHORNE: A Collection of Critical Essays." Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Levin, Harry., (Ed.). (1961) "The Scarlet Letter and Other Tales of the Puritans." Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
"Nathaniel Hawthorne." Short Story Criticism. Vol 3. Detriot: Gale, 1989. Mikosh, Bert A., "A View of Young Goodman Brown."
San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1966. Ward & Trent, et al. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1907–21; New York: Bartleby.com, 2000
San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1966. Ward & Trent, et al. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1907–21; New York: Bartleby.com, 2000
During these trials, several innocent people suspected of witchcraft were sentenced to death by the unethical legal system. While the other judges eventually apologized for their unjust actions, Hathorne refused to because, in his opinion, the will of god controlled the court’s deci... ... middle of paper ... ...er. Hawthorne’s family ancestry disturbed him and made him an antisocial pessimist, but it also gave him inspiration for one of his greatest works. By projecting his Puritan history and personal ideas into his stories, Nathaniel Hawthorne established himself as a legendary, inspirational American writer. Works Cited Allen, Janet, eds.
But Hawthorne's writing for this book is heavily influenced by his own nineteenth century culture. Hawthorne strongly believed in Providence. Hawthorne was descended from the Puritan traditions, growing up in Salem, Massachusetts. One of his relatives, Judge Hawthorne, was a judge during the Salem Witch Trials. But Hawthorne was very critical of the Puritan ethic and demonstrated that through this book (Bloom, 1986).