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~Nathaniel Hawthorne~

~Nathaniel Hawthorne~. Introduction to The Scarlet Letter (The Custom-House). Basic Background Information. The novel was written after he was fired from the Salem Custom House in 1849. It is considered as an autobiographical sketch of Hawthorne.

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~Nathaniel Hawthorne~

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  1. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne~ Introduction to The Scarlet Letter (The Custom-House)

  2. Basic Background Information • The novel was written after he was fired from the Salem Custom House in 1849. • It is considered as an autobiographical sketch of Hawthorne. • “Custom House” serves the role of a frame for the main narrative

  3. Summary • A nameless narrator as the chief executive officer,” or surveyor, of the Salem Custom House • The geography and environment of Custom-House • The fellow workers • Found an unusual package in the large upstairs hall

  4. The package consisted : • a rag of scarlet cloth • the shape of a letter • the capital letter A • The story is a fictional account of Hester Prynne’s experiences • After sacked because of the political changes, Hawthorne starts to write the narrative.

  5. The relation between the Introduction, Custom-House, and the Scarlet Letter • “A writer of story-books! What kind of a business in life,—what mode of glorifying God, or being serviceable to mankind in his day and generation,—may that be? Why, the degenerate fellow might as well have been a fiddler!” Such are the compliments bandied between my great-grandsires and myself, across the gulf of time! And yet, let them scorn me as they will, strong traits of their nature have intertwined themselves with mine. (P 1337) • Isolation and alienation (Hester vs. narrator)

  6. Techniques • Point of View: • First-person narrative point of view through a nameless narrator who has the same traits as Hawthorne himself • Setting: • Salem’s Custom House, which is near a rotting port

  7. Subject: • Mainly talks about the narrator’s life experiences in Salem Custom-House as an chief executive officer • Hawthorne’s initial motive of why he writes the later narrative, the Scarlet Letter • Symbolism in the Novel: • “A” represents adultery (P 1350) • “Eagle” represents shelter and attack (P 1334)

  8. Drawing of Nathaniel Hawthorne Salem Custom House c. 1850

  9. Derby Wharf and Salem Harbor • Shoreline, painting by Fred • Freeman • Hawthorne’s Office in the Salem • Custom House

  10. References and Work Cited • SparkNotes: Nathaniel Hawthorne • http://cgi.sparknotes.com/hlite.mpl?words=hawthorne,nathaniel • The Genius of Nathaniel Hawthorne • http://www.eldritchpress.org/nh/nhtroll.html#g08

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