The Value of Ordinary

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the literary works of author, Nathaniel Hawthorne. The paper focuses on three of his writings, "Wakefield", "The Birthmark" and "The Minister's Black Veil". The paper explains how Hawthorne's most favored characters are those that are happy with their lot. The paper claims that if the protagonists in each of these stories had left their happy lives alone, the negative experiences that they endure certainly may have been avoided. The paper contends that the theme of Hawthorne's works may hence be that people must love and cherish what goodness they have and never expect to transform that goodness to greatness.

From the Paper:

"It is evident in almost all works of literature that the author of the work favors certain characters. It is not a coincidence that the characters whom Nathaniel Hawthorne favors practically always fair well (as much as Hawthorne will allow of his characters-- Hawthorne's ironic style leaves his stories appropriately devoid of heroes and victories.) Although there are no fairytale endings, the protagonist who makes decisions that Hawthorne does not respect virtually never triumphs. (When he does succeed, it is not a victory worth celebration.) Rather, he punishes those who are compelled by greed to improve their already happy lives. This trend is especially apparent in three of Hawthorne's works: "Wakefield," "The Birthmark," and "The Minister's Black Veil." It is this curiosity about a better life that Hawthorne discourages in his stories."

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