Hawthorne effect

The short stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne are examples of the literary movement of Romanticism and its characteristics which are evidenced in this author’s works. These characteristics are sometimes found in abundant quantities or limited amounts in each of his short stories. However, no matter what short story Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote, the Age of Romanticism and its defining characteristics are found in each of his selections. So, too, do each of the author’s short stories present a unique…

Symbolism is a literary device where authors use different things, known as symbols to represent ideas in their writing. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, almost every important person, place, or item is a symbolism for an idea. Hawthorne uses an impressive amount of symbolism and has the ability to essentially create the novel’s story, moral, and theme through this symbolism. Some of the symbolism in the book is simple, and shallow such as sunshine and light symbolizing truth and…

In 1835, Nathaniel Hawthorne published a short story, Young Goodman Brown. Over the years, many critics have agreed that Young Goodman Brown is one of Hawthorne 's best works. However, one thing they cannot all seem to agree upon is, what does the story mean? Some say the story aims to “the reality of sin, the pervasiveness of evil, the secret sin and hypocrisy of all persons, the hypocrisy of Puritanism, the results of doubt or disbelief, the devastating effects of moral skepticism, or the…

Culture of Shaming In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne develops the dynamic characterization of Hester Prynne from a beautiful, innocent girl into a somber, hardened woman to showcase the evils and hypocrisy of Puritan New England’s culture of shaming. Hawthorne employs rhetorical devices such as metaphor and juxtaposition to further develop the characterization of Hester and his critique of Puritan society. When initially describing Hester, Hawthorne emphasizes her incredible beauty, and…

of thoughts pondering around as Hawthorne expresses his ideals of Dark Romanticism throughout “The Birthmark”. Yet there is still some questions of how Hawthorne’s short story is connected with Dark Romanticism. According to the facts found Dark Romantics believe in the goodness of humans, but they are still prone to sin or self-destruction. It is to say that one could be exemplified as a tragic hero only because of their own mistakes and the psychological effects they convey onto other…

good and evil in his life. Hawthorne utilizes the dual identities of the devil in an effort to portray the eternal, moral struggle of humanity. As Hawthorne states, the devil “had an indescribable air of one who knew the world, and would not have felt abashed at the governor's dinner-table” (Hawthorne 2), but “the only thing about him that could be fixed upon as remarkable was his staff … it might almost be seen it to twist and wriggle itself like a living serpent” (Hawthorne 2). Characters’…

concept of punishment for two young adulterers, Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Hawthorne masterfully portrays the townspeople’s punishment of Hester as trivial and the self-punishment of Dimmesdale as poignant in order to prove that the punishment imposed by others on a person…

In the book, Hawthorne used symbols such as the scarlet letter and the children playing to reveal that…

When Hawthorne was only four years old his father died of yellow fever in Dutch Guinea causing him to live with his Uncle, for his mother could no longer care for him. Growing up he lived in Salem, Massachusetts, born at 27 union street on July 4, 1804. One day, outside playing ball Hawthorne put himself through an injury to his leg leaving him baseless for 3 years, this was the base for his love for the art of literature and writing. After Hawthorne’s injury, his time was spent outside admiring…

Arthur Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Arthur Dimmesdale has an affair with Hester Prynne. While Hester Prynne is subject to a lifetime of ridicule, Dimmesdale escapes punishment. His lack of punishment comes at a price. Dimmesdale’s inability to confess his sin influenced his morale, profession, and overall health. Arthur Dimmesdale’s guilt affected his morale. He became obsessed with his eternal place of rest. His guilt also influenced his conversations with…