1 / 11

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), born in Salem, Massachusetts, was a notable American author with a rich Puritan background, being the descendant of one of the Salem Witch Trials' judges, John Hathorne. He experienced a difficult childhood marked by his father's early death, which shaped his introverted nature. A graduate of Bowdoin College, he spent years writing in isolation and produced famous works such as "The Scarlet Letter" and "The House of Seven Gables." His writings delve into themes of sin and hypocrisy, reflecting his complex relationship with his Puritan heritage.

agalia
Télécharger la présentation

Nathaniel Hawthorne

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Nathaniel Hawthorne

  2. Nathaniel Hawthorne 1804-1864 • Born in Salem, Massachusetts • Puritan Background • Ancestor of John Hathorne – one of the three judges in the Salem Witch Trials

  3. Hawthorne’s Background • Born Hathorne-changed name to a “W” • Father died in 1808-grew up with mostly women; shy introverted • Began writing after college at Bowdoin College in Maine • Spent 12 years in isolation in mother’s attic – starving artist • Held many jobs including writer, publisher, working at a custom house, and consul in England

  4. More Background • Married Sophie Peabody in 1842 • Was friends with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Herman Melville, and President Franklin Pierce (14th president)

  5. More Background • Worked as a surveyor at a Salem Custom House (Collected taxes from imports) • Lost his job due to political changes • Respected his Puritan ancestry but found it both a blessing and a curse

  6. His Themes in Writing • Moral allegories • The sinful man • Hypocrisy • The Dark side of Human Nature • Religious in Nature

  7. His Most Famous Works • Novels • The House of Seven Gables • The Scarlet Letter • Short Stories • “The Minister’s Black Veil” • “Young Goodman Brown”

  8. Who were the Puritans? • Wanted a “pure” church • No candles • No Images • No stained glass windows • Rejected the “showy” church of England • Led very somber lives governed solely by a strict interpretation of the Bible • No “nonsense” – dancing, gambling, drama, etc

  9. Basic Beliefs of the Puritan Church • Jesus Christ is the Son of God – died on the cross for all everyone’s sins • The whole Bible is the word of God and it is to be followed to the letter. • The belief that these ideas are fact are known as a person’s faith

  10. Basic Beliefs of the Puritan Church • Faith is what is necessary to get into heaven. • If you don’t go to heaven you go to hell. • Sins, as defined by the Bible, are to be avoided at cut out of life • A catechism is a book that is used to teach basic principles of the church

  11. The Infamous Puritans • The Salem Witch Trials put the Puritans prominently in the history books • Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible put it in Literature classes forever

More Related