Abstract This paper explains that NathanielHawthorne lived at a time when science was viewed with equal parts awe and suspicion. Hawthorne was, in fact the descendant of a Protestant minister which may have led to the cautionary tone of his works when writing of science. The paper examines how this cautionary tone is evident in "The Birthmark" and is made apparent by Hawthorne's use of symbolism in the story.
From the Paper "The birthmark in question is a tiny strawberry mark in the shape of a "singular mark" that "bore not a little similarity to a human hand" (Hawthorne 3). Hawthorne's narrator suggests that this tiny hand was a fairy mark. However, given that the union between Aylmer and Georgiana was deemed a spiritual one and that the mark was "deeply interwoven [. . .] with the texture and substance of her face" the power behind that hand would seem to be a much greater one indeed."
Abstract This paper examines and analyzes NathanielHawthorne's "House of the Seven Gables", and "The Marble Faun". It presents the author's criticism of both works and supports that criticism with published criticism.
Abstract This paper compares of the ideas of Cotton Mather and the themes of NathanielHawthorne's short story,"Young Goodman Brown."
From the Paper " From the perspective of it is difficult to credit such an idea until one is reminded of the fundamentalist zeal of Nazis or religious fanatics who blather about great Satans and howl for death to this ..."
Abstract The paper provides an analysis of four critics' views on NathanielHawthorne's short story, "Ethan Brand." The paper reviews the plot of the story and examines Brand's innate value system and the value system of his society. The paper concentrates on Brand's quest to commit the "unpardonable sin."
From the Paper "Critical Analysis of Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Ethan Brand." Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "Ethan Brand" is the tale of a man who upsets the balance between his own innate values system and that of a society whose applause he craves. He is presented by Hawthorne as having a heart of marble, impenetrable by real morality and solidified by the workings of pride. The Biblical concept of the Unpardonable Sin is used as the target of the protagonist's quest to locate himself in a world steeped in intellect and reason."
Abstract This paper relates that the symbolic characters of Satan, Goody Cloyse and even Martha Carrier represent symbolic characterizations of witchcraft within Salem. The author points out that the female witch is a powerful symbol of witchcraft but only through the root of all evil within Satan's power of illusion. The paper states that, by presenting Satan as the seed of all destruction, immorality and deviance, the symbol of witchcraft lies within Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" making it a tale of good verses evil.
From the Paper "This literary analysis presents the evils present in witchcraft within the story "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. By analyzing the characters within this tale, one can discover the various symbols of witchcraft that depict evils that Goodman Brown must overcome in the forest. In this manner, the aspects of symbolic witchcraft are related by the main characters opposing the Bible, which, in turn, depict the nature of witchcraft that abounds in the plot structure of Hawthorne's classic tale of good verses evil. Young Goodman Brown, the main character in Hawthorne's tale, must ultimately search for a greater faith. When he ventures into the forest, he meets his catechism teacher Goody Cloyse, but finds that her faith is challenged."
Abstract This paper traces the allegorical references to the Bible in Hawthorne's novel. The writer shows how the aspect of sin in prevalent in every aspect of the novel. The story tells the tale of a young preacher and his mistress and of original sin. Original sin is seeking self-gratification or placing the self above the community. The writer shows the parallels of stories in the Bible and in the novel - the Garden of Eden, the sin of the apple and others.
From the Paper "Sin is prevalent in society. There is no escaping the burden of sin. These facts are brought into view through Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. When the woman gives birth to a child, the sin of adultery comes into plain view of the Puritan society surrounding them. According to the Puritan view, there must be accountability for such actions. Such Puritan views originated from devout practice of biblical law, especially the Old Testament. There are several allegorical references to stories told in the Holy Bible. The story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden parallels that of Hester and Dimmesdale, while the life of Hester closely resembles that of Queen Esther."
Tags: allegory, Bible, Hawthorne, Nathaniel, sin, community, Puritan, holy, Adam, Eve
Abstract In this paper, Hawthorne provides three different women within three different stories that promote the theme of unattainable love. The women in Hawthorne's short stories die or are invariably unable to love the central male protagonist, but have varying differences of character and destiny that isolate them from a consummation of love's conjoined ideology. The paper describes the way in which Hawthorne has forged tales of romance that deny love and romance to the men and women involved in these three short stories.
From the Paper "This literary study will examine the role of unattainable women in three stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In this manner, Annie from "The Artist of the Beautiful", Georgiana in "The Birthmark", and Beatrice in "Rappaccini's Daughter" will be compared and contrasted. By examining the role of the unattainable and distant woman in relation to the plots in these tales, Hawthorne imbues the futility of romance in his short story works. In "Rappaccini's Daughter" the theme of unattainable love revolves around Giovanni and Beatrice, the daughter of the scientist Baglioni. The poisonous plants that the scientist creates have immunized Beatrice, and have had a harmful effect on Giovanni. The repulsion to Beatrice is instilled through her inaccessibility in the poisonous garden."
Abstract This paper examines Hawthorne's own life and Puritanical beliefs exhibited in his novel ?Young Goodman Brown.? It provides detailed biographical information on the author's life and analyzes the faith and nature of his religious perspective. The paper is loaded with quotes from the novel in support of analytical literary assessments.
From the Paper "Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem Massachusetts on July 4, 1804. Hawthorne had two sisters, Elizabeth and Louisa. He grew up with great access to the classics of English literature, as he injured his foot at age nine and couldn"t play outside for two years. In 1808, his father passed away, and in 1816, his family moved to Raymond, Maine, in a house on Lake Sebago. This provided Hawthorne with much solitude, which he cherished, for three years (Martin 5). In 1819, his mother sent him back to Salem to go to school. It was at this time that he began to write poetry. He also became a bookkeeper for his Uncle William. Hawthorne entered Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Mass., in 1821, and was the first of his family to attend college. He didn"t know what he wanted to be, however."
Abstract This paper examines Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" and NathanielHawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown," comparing the relationships of the protagonists with the father figures. The paper discusses the symbolic meaning of the father figures and the contrasts between the two stories involving either support or opposition to the father figure.
From the Paper "The relationships of the protagonists with their father figures in Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" and Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" are rich with symbolic meaning and pose an interesting contrast to one another. Whereas Kafka's protagonist labors to support and sustain his father, Hawthorne's protagonist is vehemently opposed to the father figure in the story, the devil and attempts to resist him."
Tags: Kafka, Hawthorne, The Metamorphosis , Young Goodman Brown , Bible, father, sin, hypocrisy
Abstract NathanielHawthorne's "Blithedale Romance", is the first person narration of a man bent upon joining a world that has no need of him by imposing an arbitrary order upon his reality. Blithedale, is a novel of polarities. Just as Coverdale imposes order on reality, Zenobia, the feminine voice of creation, understands reality as a fragmented thing that cannot have order forced upon it. We see in the novel oppositions in communities, in social order, and in place. But, Hawthorne also gives us a richly crafted story about what it is that defines community and the common spirit or communal soul. The romance, of this book, is not just that of man and woman, but of the romantic ideals of society and of order. Coverdale, who is the namesake of the primary translator of the King James bible, is a man bent upon making the world be what he wants it to be. Hawthorne's, The Blithedale Romance, provides the reader with a set of beliefs, ideals, and aspirations, that become ideologies that actually mask reality thus pitting the utopian hopes of Blithedale against actual human behaviors - which makes for a difficult conflict at best.
Abstract This paper discusses the author of the Romantic period, NathanielHawthorne. It particularly discusses his views on Puritanism, as one of the main themes of his work was the concept of unpardonable sin, which all Puritans held very close to their hearts. The paper gives examples from Hawthorne's books of this concept and uses some of some of these examples to discuss whether Hawthorne condoned puritanical beliefs or condemned them.
From the Paper "Humanity means morality and faith here and represents everything good and wholesome. Hawthorne felt that when man starts to use his intellect to seek scientific knowledge to support or reject his beliefs, he is basically committing a crime and thus losing touch with humanity. The main reason Hawthorne equated knowledge with evil was because he felt evil was always a lurking possibility and as long as man doesn't engage himself in unnecessary questioning, he could keep that evil force silent. As he once noted: "There is a fund of evil in every human heart, which may remain latent, perhaps through the whole of life; but circumstances may arouse it to activity" (Coale, 1).
Even though Hawthorne was born in the Puritan society, he appears to have disliked the strict laws and regulations of the time. This is because while he endorses the view the faith must not be questioned, he also found that this view was not practiced by the people in its true spirit."
Abstract This paper analyzes NathanielHawthorne's short story about a minister's life. This minister preaches his regular sermon in church usually in an uninspiring way until one Sunday, he shows up with a black veil on his face. This paper discusses the effects this had on his congregation and its symbolism. It details how Hawthorne's story, and the veil itself, is a metaphor for all of our sins and transgressions.
From the Paper "Hawthorne's short story is deceptively simple. He tells the tale of a minister, Parson Hooper, who comes to church one Sunday wearing a black veil over his face. Nothing else about him has changed, but this veil frightens the worshippers, and sets off all kinds of rumors, including that Parson Hooper has gone mad. ?Such was the effect of this simple piece of crepe, that more than one woman of delicate nerves was forced to leave the meetinghouse. Yet perhaps the pale-faced congregation was almost as fearful a sight to the minister, as his black veil to them.? As he preaches his sermon, the congregation seems to find this sermon special, and somehow it touches each one. Hawthorne says that Hooper was normally a rather "uninspired" preacher, and today was no exception, but the people perceive his words differently. They frighten many of them. ?Each member of the congregation, the most innocent girl, and the man of hardened breast, felt as if the preacher had crept upon them, behind his awful veil, and discovered their hoarded iniquity of deed or thought.? Perhaps Hooper's words are hitting a little close to home, and people are seeing some of the things they cover up in their own lives, as Hooper covers his face with the veil."
Tags: minister, black, veil, Nathaniel, Hawthorne, congregation, preach, sermon, sins
Abstract A critical biography of NathanielHawthorne. The writer shows why Hawthorne is considered to be the epitome of the American Romantic writer. Discusses his life, and early works, his upbringing and education and how these influenced the development of his unique writing style. Discusses his works "The Birthmark" and "The Scarlet Letter".
From the Paper "Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of early America's greatest authors. He was born on July 4, 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts, where he spent his childhood with his mother and two sisters. When Hawthorne was four years old, his father died of yellow fever, leading to a somber childhood. His mother became overly protective and pushed him toward more isolated pursuits. Hawthorne's childhood left him overly shy and bookish, and molded his life as a writer."
Abstract This paper argues that NathanielHawthorne made a contribution in the reevaluation of the place of Puritanism in American history. The author uses Hawthorne's stories "Young Goodman Brown", "Rappaccini's Daughter", and "The Birth Mark" to support the argument.
Abstract This paper discusses the life of NathanielHawthorne and the writer seeks to reveal Hawthorne's accomplishments in literary history. By looking into his personal motivations for his work, the author reveals much about Puritan society.