Life of Nathaniel Hawthorne essays

Life of Nathaniel Hawthorne essays Nathaniel Hawthornes obsession with sin spurred him to write several novels unlike any others seen in his lifetime. His writing style was unique for his time and sometimes criticized. He worked most his life trying to write the perfect novel, trying to be a success and finally won out. Nathaniel Hawthornes life and career contained many hard ships and uniquely interesting human experiences (www.tdl.com). Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem Massachusetts on July 4, 1804. His family linage was that of strong Puritan descent, with both his mother and father, Elizabeth and Nathaniel Sr. having been reared by Puritan families. Hawthorne's ancestors include Major William Hathorne who was one of the first Puritan settlers in America, and Joe Hathorne who was a head judge in the Salem witch trials. Nathaniel was four when his father died and as a result he lived a solitary life with his mother, who became extremely withdrawn and guilt stricken. While Hawthorne (who adopted this spelling of the name) lived a very sedentary lifestyle in this environment, he was finally exposed to a "normal" child's life. Nathaniel was so content with this newfound life that when the subject of continued education arose he stated "Oh! No... I was not born to vegetate forever... to live and die as calm and tranquil as a puddle of water." Young Nathaniel grew fond of books and literature, especially the acclaimed Pilgrims Progress despite his lack of interest in school (Kunitz 1600- 1900, 347). Maternal relatives came to realize his talent as a writer and offered to finance his education. He graduated from Bowdoin in the class of 1825. Among his fellow classmates were his friends Franklin Pierce, Horatio Bridge, and Henry Wordsworth Longfellow. After graduating, his love for books and literature prompted him to turn towards a life of writing. Nathaniel wrote Fanshawe a book of which he was extremely critical. After having p...