nathaniel hawthorne a balanced approach to transcendentalism
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Nathaniel Hawthorne A Balanced Approach to Transcendentalism. Introduction to The Scarlet Letter AP English Literature and Composition. The Life of Hawthorne. Hawthorne was born on July 4th, 1804 in Salem, Mass. Father: Nathaniel Hathorne Sr. was a sea captain. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Introduction to The Scarlet Letter
AP English Literature and Composition
Nathaniel HawthorneA Balanced Approach to
Transcendentalism
The Life of HawthorneHawthorne was born
on July 4th, 1804 in Salem, Mass.
Father: Nathaniel Hathorne Sr. was a sea captain.
Mother: Elizabeth Clarke Manning was a descendent of blacksmiths
The Life of HawthorneHawthorne
attended Bowdoin College
After his graduation he turned to writing.
He wrote several successful short stories which were collected in Twice-Told Tales (1837).
The Life of HawthorneHawthorne returned to Salem where he met Sophia Peabody.
After a five year engagement, they were married in 1842.
The Life of HawthorneUnable to support
his new family by writing, in 1846 Hawthorne accepted a political appointment to the Salem Custom House as Surveyor of the Port .
The Life of HawthorneThis bureaucratic
position stunted Hawthorne’s creativity.
A change in administration, however, led to his termination in 1849.
Hawthorne’s mother died at the same time.
The Life of HawthorneSuffering these
losses, Hawthorne left Salem, which he called "that abominable city," saying that he now had no reason to remain.
He would never again return.
The Life of HawthorneSome critics have
suggested that the loss of both his position and mother provided the creative impetus to write The Scarlet Letter (1850).
The Life of HawthorneHawthorne’s
connection to Salem haunted him.
His great-grandfather John Hathorne was the chief-interrogator of the “Salem Witches.”
The Life of HawthorneThe story that
Hawthorne added the "w" to his name to distance himself from his Hathorne ancestors has no clear evidence to support it.
The Life of HawthorneIn 1830, however,
he published "The Hollow of the Three Hills," under the name of Nathaniel Hathorne.
After this date his name appears as Nathaniel Hawthorne.
The Life of Hawthorne
Other Published works:
Twice-Told Tales, The House of the Seven Gables, The Mable Faun, Our Old Home, and children’s books A Wonder Book, and Tanglewood Tales.
The Life of HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne
died on May 18, 1864 in Plymouth, New Hampshire.
He is credited with writing the first truly American novel: The Scarlet Letter.
Influences upon Hawthorne’s Work
MarriageSophia desired to paint,
write, and pursue a profession
She was limited by social constraints and motherhood
Influences upon Hawthorne’s WorkFemale characters
are often portrayed as sympathetic
Idea of “Female Purity”Influence of Puritan heritage
Influences upon Hawthorne’s Work
Puritan New England Many works are set in
New EnglandPuritan belief in an
“active evil” (Devil)Salem communities
are often viewed as hypocritical – Salem Witch Trials
Literary Thematic ConceptsAlienation – a
character is isolated due to self-cause or societal-cause
Guilt vs. Innocence – a character’s sense of guilt caused by Puritanical values/heritage
Literary Thematic ConceptsIndividual vs. SocietySelf-reliance vs.
AccommodationHypocrisy vs.
IntegrityFate vs. Free WillUnconventional
Gender RolesImpossibility of
Human Perfection
ImageryHawthorne makes
use of the following patterns of images:
Light vs. DarkNatural vs.
UnnaturalSunshine vs.
Firelight or Moonlight and Reflections
Romantic/Gothic MotifsFantasiesDreamsReveriesOpen-ended
endings and unanswered questions – the open-ended possibilities of the idealistic Romantic
RomanticismStarted in Western Europe
and migrated into America lasting from 1800-1855. (The end of the Puritans and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution).
Reaction against “Classicism” and “The Age of Reason”.
Inspired by the nation’s westward expansion, youthful optimism, and desire for literary independence.
Classic Traits of Romanticism1. Imagination reveals the depth of the
human spirit.2. Enthusiastic about national life and
the common man.3. Celebrates the beauty and mystery of
nature.4. Celebrates and focuses on improving
the individual.5. Fascination with supernatural, the
afterlife, and the gothic.6. Sense of idealism and optimism or
exaggeration.
European Romance vs. The American Novel
Hawthorne struggled against the European model of the Romance.
Through The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne developed the first truly American Novel.
The advent of the Industrial Revolution brought on a darker vision of American life.
These romantics examined the complex and mysterious forces that motivate human behavior.
Dark Romantics: In your notes write how each of these writers exemplified “dark romantic” trends in their literary work.Nathanial Hawthorne - Scarlet LetterHerman Melville - Moby-Dick & “Bartleby the Scrivener”Edgar Allan Poe - Various poems and short stories
Split Romantic views led to the development of Transcendentalism
Hawthorne’s Views of Transcendentalism
Hawthorne did not conform to the Romantic focus on the emotions and abandonment of reason.
Hawthorne strove to create a balance between “head and heart.”
Hawthorne’s Views of Transcendentalism
Hawthorne believed that human fulfillment was achieved through a balance between mind, reason, heart, spirit, will, and imagination.
Hawthorne’s balanced approach placed him in opposition to other Transcendentalists – Emerson, Thoreau, and Longfellow.
Clash with TranscendentalismHawthorne saw
potential problems with Emerson’s idea of self-reliance.
Self-reliance can lead to excessive pride.
Hawthorne believed in determinism, or natural order.
Clash with TranscendentalismTranscendentalists
were overwhelmingly abolitionists – Hawthorne wasn’t entirely sure of his position.
He questioned the motives and principles of the Northern authorities.
Clash with Transcendentalism
Hawthorne’s Response:
"What a terrible thing it is to try to let off a little bit of truth into this miserable humbug of a world!"
The American NovelWhere the Romance
incorporated the Gothic elements of crime, religion, ghosts, etc. as the focus of the story, Hawthorne used these elements as a means to support his story.
Hawthorne’s Novel was not a means of escape, but rather a means to examine society and life.
His novel invited criticism of the worlds he reflected – Puritanism.
Hawthorne’s NovelHawthorne’s novel
found relevance as more than mere entertainment, but as something more prophetic and integral to the American Identity.