Nathaniel Hawthorne: A Satirist of the 1800’s

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.

Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts on July 4, 1804 (Magill 1; Campbell 1; “Nathaniel Hawthorne”; Eldred 1). He was born into the sixth generation of his Salem family, and was a descendant of a long line of New England Puritans, which contributed in his interest in the Puritan way of life. The family was originally known as the “Hathornes”, but Nathaniel added the “w” to his name so it would become “Hawthorne”. The Hawthornes had been involved in religious persecution with their first American ancestor, William. Another ancestor, John Hathorne, was one of the three judges at the seventeenth-century Salem witchcraft trials. Hawthorne’s father was a sea captain, and when he was four years old (1808), his father died on a voyage in Surinam, Dutch Guinea (Campbell 1). Hawthorne was left alone with his mother and two sisters. He spent his early years in Salem and in Maine, during which he showed an interest in his father’s nautical adventures and read his logbooks often, even after his death (Magill 1). His maternal relatives recognized his literary talent at such a you...

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... resided in their first permanent home, The Wayside, at Concord. Hawthorne’s health eventually began to fail him, but since he refused to submit to medical examination, the details of his health issues remain unclear. He eventually died in Plymouth, New Hampshire on May 19, 1864 (Magill 1; Campbell 1; “Nathaniel Hawthorne”; Eldred 1).

Works Cited

Hilton, Earl. “Hawthorne, the Hippie, and the Square.” Debacle. 6 April 1997. 27 January 2010.

http://debacle.org/hawthorne/hhs.html

Magill, Frank. “Hawthorne Writing Style.” Escoala. 27 January 2010.

http://www.e-scoala.ro/referate/engleza_nathaniel_hawthorne.html

Reuben, Paul P. “Chapter 3: Nineteenth Century to 1865 – Nathaniel Hawthorne.” PAL: Perspective in American Literature - A Research and Reference Guide. 18 May 2009. 27 January 2010.

http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap3/hawthorne.html