Studying Hawthorne: One Writer*s Fascination with Human Nature
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Transcript Studying Hawthorne: One Writer*s Fascination with Human Nature
STUDYING HAWTHORNE: ONE
WRITER’S FASCINATION WITH
HUMAN NATURE
AP English IV
English 1302
NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE: AMERICAN
ROMANTICIST
Hawthorne and Human
Nature
Hawthorne’s works
demonstrate a
fascination with the
human psyche and
human motivation.
Hawthorne's works
probe into human
nature, especially its
darker side.
Overall, Hawthorne’s
works demonstrate a
“haunting” of his
Puritan past.
Hawthorne 1804-1864
He set many stories against the somber
background of Puritan New England, the world
of his ancestors.
Unlike most fiction writers of his time, he was
not primarily interested in stirring the reader by
sensational or sentimental effects.
Hawthorne called his writing "romance," which
he defined as a method of showing "the depths of
our common nature."
To Hawthorne, romance meant confronting
reality, rather than evading it. Hawthorne often
dealt with the themes of morality, sin, and
redemption
MAJOR THEMES IN HAWTHORNE’S WORKS
Hypocrisy v. candor
Presumed guilt v. innocence
Belief in fate or free will
The penalties of isolation
Crimes against the human heart
Patriarchal power
Truths available to the mind via dream or reverie
The impossibility of earthly perfection
“THE MINISTER’S BLACK VEIL”
A tale of inherent sin and hypocritical human
nature.
Set in an 18th century Puritan town.
Critiques the Puritan perspective of original sin
(ancestral sin—man is born into sin because of
Adam’s fall)
Symbols: the veil symbolizes the practices of
Puritan society.
A Parable: a story that teaches a lesson. What is
the lesson of this narrative?
“YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN”
“Goodman” is not the character’s first name, but
a term of respect used to refer to one another,
similar to “Mr.” “Goody” is the female form.
Set in Puritan New England, the town prides
itself on both its sense of community and its
religious values.
When YGB watches his wife, minister, religious
leaders, and peers participate in a Satanic ritual,
he is forced to make a difficult decision.
CONNECTIONS TO ROMANTICISM
Consider how these stories contain elements of
the strange/sinister.
How do these stories analyze the role of guilt in
people’s lives?
How do these stories capitalize on notions
regarding human nature?
What is the nature and purpose of knowledge?
“THE BIRTHMARK”
Examines the human obsession with perfection.
Symbolism: the birthmark represents many
things throughout the story, but perfection and
morality are its primary representation.
From a Romantic perspective, the story also
touches on the dangers of scientific exploration.
Consider how Alymer is like Victor.
Alymer’s pursuit of perfection is tragic. His
refusal of “the best nature has to offer” becomes
his destruction as well as the destruction of those
around him.