Read through Chapter 15 in The Scarlet Letter, continuing the packet. Complete “The Ways We Lie,” if you have not already done so.
After the break we will write several argumentative essays. During the break, enjoy your respite from academic books, and get in some much-needed freely-chosen reading.
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January 5, 2012 at 11:24 am
Nathaniel Hawthorne — notes
• Lived 1804 – 1864, from Salem and Concord Massachusetts
• High Romantic Period
• Wrote short stories and novels (fiction)
• His Works Include:
• The Scarlet Letter
• The House of Seven Gables
• “The Birthmark”
• “Young Goodman Brown”
• “The Minister’s Black Veil”
• “Rappaccini’s Daughter”
• “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”
• Used intense symbolism
• Common Themes:
o humanity’s potential for cruelty
o the macabre
o isolation
o ancestral sin
o the dark side
o mortality
• Influences:
o One of Hawthorne’s greatest influences was the knowledge that one of his ancestors was a judge during the Salem witch trials. This gave Hawthorne a profound sense of guilt.
o Another influence was his membership in an experimental society called Brook Farm. This commune was supposed to be a utopia– needless to say, it didn’t work out.
• Interesting Notes:
o After attending college Hawthorne knew he wanted to be a writer. He decided to remain in seclusion for twelve years. During this time he read and wrote voraciously – preparing himself for a literary career.
o Hawthorne was an orphan raised by his uncles and aunts. One uncle, who he lived with for several years, was a well-known pomologist, or grower of fruit trees. In particular, Hawthorne remembered that he loved his hundreds of pear trees like daughters, perhaps to the neglect of his nephew.