Analysis Of My Kinsman, Major Molineux

Decent Essays
“My Kinsman, Major Molineux”: America’s Quest for Identity
Introduction
Hawthorne, the author of “My Kinsman, Major Molineux” creates a historical context of the transition from British way of exercising power (Hawthorne 374). He narrates the experiences through a short story of a young boy, Robin, who struggles to achieve independence in a new atmosphere. As the title suggests, the main character Robin, travels to Boston to find a kinsman, Major Molineux. Robin needs to find his uncle so that he can get financial and motivational support that his rich uncle can give in the city (Hawthorne 375). He, Major Molineux, however, seems to opt for independence as he discovers new experience in the urban set up.
In comparison to his father, Robin’s
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It illustrates America’s quest for an Identity. Hawthorne’s work gives an indication of America’s progress to a new brawling competitive bourgeois. He gives us a synapse of Capitalism at its early age. Robin depicts the transitions from a naive, innocent and dependent person to a corrupted, independent and complex character who seeks freedom from authority figures in his …show more content…
His journey lacked a senior supervisory figure that would direct his search for his uncle.
His intent defers from the one directly portrayed by the author who suggested that he is in search of his uncle, Major Molineux. He pauses between his ventures to admire the qualities of the city such as shops (Hawthorne 377). Due to his young urges, he is interrupted by sexual desire when he encounters the pretty housekeeper. The watchman that chases him from the house represents the societal conformance that he is expected to comply with despite being away from his father.
When he enters the New England town he avoids the watchman who could easily identify his uncle’s whereabouts. He claims to go on a particular journey but deeply desires to achieve freedom from the supervision of adults. The unwillingness to find his uncle represents the freedom he experiences after lacking a father figure in his journey. The night watchman also represents an authority figure in Robin’s life. He disrupts the sexual innuendo between Robin and the pretty housekeeper and Robin flees to escape reprimand. Robin’s laughter also symbolizes the youthful nature of crowd behavior. He has suppressed urges and secretly loathes authority figures in his life such as his father, the watchman and Major

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