Nathaniel Hawthorne

1804 - 1864 *

American novelist whose works were an exploration of human sin, punishment and guilt.

Hawthorne's guilt of wrongs committed by his ancestors was paramount in the development of his literary career. He explored the themes of pride, guilt, sin, punishment and evil in all of his works. His most famous, a masterpiece of American literature, is The Scarlet Letter. His allegorical and symbolic characters explore the issues of human worth and decision making.

          Source: Classics Network Editorial Team

Novelist and short story writer, a central figure in the American Renaissance. Hawthorne's best-known works include THE SCARLET LETTER (1850) and THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES (1851). Writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Herman Melville, and Hawthorne looked not only to the Puritan origins of American history, but also to Puritan styles of rhetoric to create a distinctive American literary voice.

"Not to be deficient in this particular, the author has provided himself with a moral - the truth, namely, that the wrongdoing of one generation lives into the succes... [read entire biography]

          Source: Public Domain

These essays offer analysis of the author's life and works. Many of them have been submitted by users, and are assigned an Editorial Rating on a scale from one to five stars to assist you in evaluating their worth. See also: Note on Essays, Editorial Policy.

     

The Scarlet Letter: Hawthorne's Quintessential Nineteenth Century American Novel -- Hawthorne's allegorical tale, The Scarlet Letter, written about 17th centuy Salem, resonating in 19th century American literature.
By Jason Butler, High School Student	Editorial Rating:

The Individual and His Society in The Scarlet Letter -- In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne examines the severe consequences of societal pressure on the individual, while also demonstrating how the individual can marginalize the effects of those pressures.
By Dmitry Shevelenko,	Editorial Rating:

The Effects of Sin in Puritan Society -- The Effects of Sin on Hester, Dimesdale, and Chillingworth
By Paul Simon, Student	Editorial Rating:

Scarlet Letter vs. Star Wars -- A comparison between The Scarlet Letter and Star Wars
By filup mccauley,	Editorial Rating:

The Insecure American in Nathaniel Hawthorne's Tales -- The study of the cultural phenomenan of insecurity in Nathaniel Hawthorne's tales.
By Chitra Badrinarayan, Masters Student	Editorial Rating:

Hawthorne Essay -- Comparison of various Hawthorne works
By Lori Hill,	Editorial Rating:

The Scarlet Letter: Only God Should Judge -- Only God Should Judge in the scarlet letter
By moahmed nadi, Student	Editorial Rating:

The Scarlet Letter : Tolerance of Sin -- The torlerance of sin in the novel
By moahmed nadi, Student	Editorial Rating:

The Effects of Sin -- Traces the Effects of sin on Dimmesdale, Hester, and Chillingworth
By Paul Simon, Student	Editorial Rating:

Conflicting Views of Hester Prynne -- The Contrast Between Hawthorne and the Puritans
By SurfWax, Student	Editorial Rating:

Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter -- The notion of Symbolism in the Scarlet letter
By moahmed nadi, Student	Editorial Rating:

     

Miscellaneous

		Bartleby.com - Hawthorne -- biographical information, a chapter on Hawthorne from 'American Novel', and excellent online versions of The Scarlet Letter and Rappaccini’s Daughter http://www.bartleby.com/people/HawthornN... Editorial Rating: Number of Visitors: 752 1 users have rated it an average of 1 stars     [rate it] NovelGuide: The Scarlet Letter -- notes for students http://www.novelguide.com/thescarletlett... Editorial Rating: Number of Visitors: 562 2 users have rated it an average of 3 stars     [rate it] SparkNotes - The Scarlet Letter -- summaries, analysis of characters, themes and context for students http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/scarlet/ Editorial Rating: Number of Visitors: 637 4 users have rated it an average of 4.5 stars     [rate it]

     

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Additional searches

Hawthorne at Encarta Encyclopedia

Hawthorne at Britannica Encyclopedia

Hawthorne at Xrefer.com