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Nathaniel Hawthorne. Born Salem, Massachusetts, July 4, 1804. From a prominent Puritan family. Earliest American ancestor was William Hawthorne—1630—he was a soldier and magistrate. Nathaniel Hawthorne.
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Nathaniel Hawthorne • Born Salem, Massachusetts, July 4, 1804. • From a prominent Puritan family. • Earliest American ancestor was William Hawthorne—1630—he was a soldier and magistrate.
Nathaniel Hawthorne • William mainly remembered for having condemned a Quaker woman to be led around by carts and whipped through the streets of Boston and other towns. • This creates conflicting attitudes: solid accomplishment vs. great guilt
Nathaniel Hawthorne • Themes: Solid accomplishment vs. great guilt • His works deal with guilt and the Puritan moral code as well as human loneliness and sin.
Nathaniel Hawthorne • Married Sophia Peabody—happy marriage. • She in many ways was Hawthorne’s model for Hester Prynne.
Nathaniel Hawthorne • One of the first writers to create a truly psychological novel. • Issues and Themes in TSL • Psychology • Puritanism • Evil • Symbols • Sin • Romance • Heart
Nathaniel Hawthorne • Hawthorne’s fiction is fueled by an awareness of the guilt that accompanies a Puritan conscience. • His familial background contributed to his darkness.
Transcendentalism Transcendentalism: a 19th century movement in the Romantic tradition which held that every individual can reach ultimate truths through spiritual intuition, which transcends reason and sensory experience.
Transcendentalism Basic tenets of Transcendentalists • God is present in every aspect of Nature, including every human being. • Everyone is capable of apprehending God through the use of intuition.
Transcendentalism 3. The belief that all of Nature is symbolic of the spirit.