True literary success is a extraordinary rarity. If an author’s work does not consistently appeal to and appraise the continued plight of the average man through time, it cannot be considered a true classic. Nathaniel Hawthorne exemplifies an author bestowed underserved popularity and success perpetuated solely by that popularity. Examining both his work and his lifestyle brings to light a dull drive for obsolete accomplishments. While his plotlines can be considered classic, his style portrays an overzealous attempt at sophistication. Hawthorne’s desire to be considered a great writer takes away from the raw content of his works, and leaves the text dry and dull. His work is no longer relevant to a broad audience, further depreciating the …show more content…
Hawthorne held an impressive ability to fabricate publication which resonated with the populous of his time. However, after his initial appeal, his text becomes dry and dismal. The reader cannot help but feel as though the text trudges on forever. For instance, in The Scarlet Letter, an entire chapter is dedicated to a single rose bush. This chapter is meant to represent the plot line in a somewhat clever analogy (Steinbach 2). Yet, Hawthorne spends a large portion of his text on this metaphor, essentially relaying the story in itself . Ill thought-out repetition, exemplified by Hawthorne, represents poor literary technique (Heyworth 187). Nathaniel Hawthorne is an exception representation of minute detail used simply as a filler. He tries to mask this reality behind metaphor and imagery, and the overall result is a disinterested …show more content…
His style is wordy, and filled with unnecessary explanations. His poor use of metaphors leads to misunderstanding, taking away from literary meaning. Glaring examples of vain attempts at elegance appear throughout Hawthorne’s works. Because of his narrow subject base and devoted focus to negligible topics, Hathorne is no longer relevant to contemporary reader bases. Of the classic authors Nathaniel Hawthorne’s works are the poorest of quality because of the nature of his overzealous composure, uninterested writing style, and contemporary
Nathaniel Hawthorne was a truly outstanding author. His detailed descriptions and imagery will surely keep people interested in reading The Scarlet Letter for years to come. In writing this book he used themes evident throughout the entirety of the novel. These themes are illustrated in what happens to the characters and how they react. By examining how these themes affect the main characters, Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth, one can obtain a better understanding of what Hawthorne was trying to impress upon his readers.
In The Scarlet Letter, author Nathaniel Hawthorne efficiently conveys his purpose to the audience through the use of numerous rhetorical devices in his novel. Two such rhetorical strategies Hawthorne establishes to convey his purpose of informing the audience of valuable life lessons in The Scarlet Letter are characterization and the theme of duality.
Beginning with the very first words of The Scarlet Letter the reader is thrust into a bleak and unforgiving setting. “A thong of bearded men, in sad-colored garments,” that are said to be “intermixed with women,” come off as overpowering and all-encompassing; Hawthorne quickly and clearly establishes who will be holding the power in this story: the males (Hawthorne 45). And he goes even further with his use of imagery, painting an even more vivid picture in the reader’s mind. One imagines a sea of drab grays and browns, further reinforcing the unwelcoming feeling this atmosphere seems to inheren...
“Nathaniel Hawthorne – Biography.” The European Graduate School. The European Graduate School, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2014
Since ours is an age that has found irony, ambiguity, and paradox to be central not only in literature but in life, it is not surprising that Hawthorne has seemed to us one of the most modern of nineteenth century American writers. The bulk and general excellence of the great outburst of Hawthorne criticism of the past decade attest to his relevance for us(54).
“Nathaniel Hawthorne.” The Norton Anthology: American Literature, edited by Baym et al. New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1995.
In any novel worth reading there is use of basic rhetorical devices like symbolism, allusions, etc. Nathaniel Hawthorne viewed strongly abroad as excellent author for many reasons but none as prevalent as his use of symbolism. Hawthorne uses repetition, motifs and symbolism to poetically approximate allusions almost within every word of his book “The Scarlet Letter”. Symbolism is the adhesive in “The Scarlet Letter”, other than maintaining the reader’s interest, it also makes allusions to other famous works such as the bible, and he uses it to transition the exposition throughout the book. A white man standing next to an Indian was wearing “… clad in a strange disarray of civilized and savage costume” (45) symbolizing the linimal position of the character in the story and in life. Although this symbol has one clear layer it also has a bi-layer to represent a different meaning. The matter that Hawthorne forms epic amounts of symbol s would have formed a problem if he hadn’t made it easy to depict the differences between his concrete symbols and his abstract symbols through repetit...
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.
Lang, H.J. “How Ambiguous is Hawthorne?” In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.
Throughout his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne reveals character through the use of imagery and metaphor.
"Nathaniel Hawthorne- Biography." The European Graduate School. The European Graduate School EGS, 1997-2012. Web. 25 November 2013.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of America's most renowned authors, demonstrates his extraordinary talents in two of his most famed novels, The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables. To compare these two books seems bizarre, as their plots are distinctly different. Though the books are quite seemingly different, the central themes and Hawthorne's style are closely related (Carey, p. 62). American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne is most famous for his books THE SCARLET LETTER and THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES, which are closely related in theme, the use of symbolism, characterization, and style.
Hawthorne’s love for literature blossomed at the age of seven when he was unexpectedly injured. Because of this injury, he was bed ridden for fifteen months, thus leading him into the path of literary works. He even began to believe that if a person read a lot, he or she would write well (Meltzer). This belief was proven to be true and even helped him in creating his own unique style of wri...
Lathrop, G. P., ed. "Hawthorne, Nathaniel." The Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature. Binghamton, New York: Vail-Ballou, 1962. 439-40. Print.
Since ours is an age that has found irony, ambiguity, and paradox to be central not only in literature but in life, it is not surprising that Hawthorne has seemed to us one of the most modern of nineteenth century American writers. The bulk and general excellence of the great outburst of Hawthorne criticism of the past decade attest to his relevance for us (54).