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Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a 19th century American novelist and short story writer and one of the major contributors to the development of American literature. Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts, which influenced much of his writing. Hawthorne wrote many short stories and sketches, publishing them anonymously or pseudonymously in The New-England Magazine and The United States Democratic Review, and later published them as collections under his own name. He is known today for his short stories and the novels The Scarlet Letter (1850), The House of the Seven Gables (1851), The Blithedale Romance (1852) and The Marble Faun (1860).

  • Nationality: American
  • Birth Date: 4 July 1804
  • Death Date: 19 May 1864
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Available Works

The Scarlet Letter (1850)
The Scarlet Letter, published in 1850, is set in Puritan New England in the 17th century. Exploring the issues of grace, legalism, and guilt, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, a Puritan woman who commits adultry then struggles to create a new life.
The House of the Seven Gables (1851)
The House of the Seven Gables, published in 1851, explores issues of class and the pursuit of wealth against the backdrop of decaying residences.
The Blithedale Romance (1852)
The Blithedale Romance is the third of the major novels of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Much of the action of the novel is set at Blithedale, a utopian socialist community that is founded upon anti-capitalist ideals, yet is destroyed by the self-interested behavior of its members.
The Marble Faun (1860)
The Marble Faun is a gothic romance concerning three young Americans and one young Italian Count who meet in Rome. The book features picturesque descriptions of historic art and architecture in Rome as a backdrop to a tale of mystery, murder, and romance.

Individual Passages

The Snow-Image: A Childish Miracle
Two children, Violet and Peony, construct a girl out of snow. This snow-image comes to life, however, their parents think she is a human girl and bring her inside where she promptly melts.