The Puritan Effect

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Recommended: Puritanism as a symbol for Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne is respected as “one of the great masters of American Fiction” (“Hawthorne, Nathaniel” 363). He is an accomplished author who wrote novels as well as children’s literature. However, Hawthorne’s strength is American short story; his “haunting” tales are undeniably responsible for establishing this genre as a “significant art form” (“Nathaniel Hawthorne” Columbia 1). He is known for his “penetrating explorations” of the conflicts within one’s conscience and the consequences that plague his characters, as a result of their disobedience (“Nathaniel Hawthorne” 1). These “dilemmas” of the “human condition” are prominent in his story, “The Birth-Mark” (Tuerk 1). Mosses of an Old Manse, is a compilation of short stories; which includes “The Birth-Mark”, they are considered “his best collection” of works (“Hawthorne, Nathaniel” 365). The singular piece that brought him much admiration is “The Scarlet Letter”; its popularity is equal to the quality of his short stories. Hawthorne continues to attract a new audience, and this is a testament to his “content to describe both sides of the human coin” and his “meticulous craftsmanship” (Tuerk 1). Nathaniel Hawthorne, who wrote “The Birth-Mark”, was a descendent of Puritans and this fact influenced his allegorical writings; the short story contains symbolism, irony, and a theme of one man’s struggle to accept Nature’s ultimate supremacy over humanity.

On Independence Day of 1804; Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts. He started his life on a day that is a symbol of perseverance and transformation t...

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Tuerk, Richard. "Nathaniel Hawthorne." Cyclopedia of World Authors, Fourth Revised Edition (2003): 1-2. MagillOnLiterature Plus. EBSCO. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. .

"Nathaniel Hawthorne." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (2011): 1. Middle Search Plus. EBSCO. Web. 19 Oct. 2011. .

Wineapple, Brenda. Hawthorne: A Life. Westminster, MD: Alfred A. Knopf Incorporated, 2003. ebrary.Web. 10 October 2011. .

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