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Nathaniel Hawthorne
Biography
Photo of Old State House, 1870, from the Bostonian Society
Place of birth
Date of birth
• Salem, MA
• July 4, 1804
Date of death
• Plymouth, NH
Place of death
• May 19, 1864
Burial location • Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, MA
Interesting facts about childhood
• Father, sailor, died when Hawthorne was four
• Family lived in poverty• Mother found money for tuition to Bowdoin
College (Maine)
Marriage & Family
• Married Sophia Peabody, neighbor
Place(s) where this author lived. Include dates and explain how each
place influenced them. • Salem, MA; childhood; ancestors were Puritans • Maine – both in childhood and college• Boston 1839-40 – worked there; Custom House
found in The Scarlet Letter.• Brook Farm Utopian Community, 1841-1842 -
transcendentalists• Concord, MA 1842-1853; with wife• England 1853-1860• Concord, MA 1860-1864
How did this author become inspired to write?
• Inspired by Puritan ancestors like John Hathorne who was judge at the Salem witch trials. Led to Hawthorne’s focus on Puritans.
• “Custom House” inspired by revenge• Inspired in college (Bowdoin)
Where applicable, explain any obstacles this writer faced
• Death of father • Poverty in childhood• Difficulty selling first book• String of political appointments (jobs) that he
lost due to changes in power of political parties
• Illness in later life prevented finishing work
How successful was this author during his/her lifetime?
• The Scarlet Letter sold 4,000 copies in the first ten days
• The House of the Seven Gables also popular• Still needed to have a non-writing job – like
working in the Custom House or as the American consul in England
If the author wasn’t successful or popular at the time of their death,
explain how and why they are still well known today
• N/A
Why is this author considered influential?
• Classic examples of romances (imaginative fiction deals with its subjects and characters in a symbolic, imaginative, and nonrealistic way)
• Novels and short stories delved into human nature, especially sin and guilt
• His psychological fiction inspired Herman Melville and William Faulkner
Identify five (5) characteristics of this author and give specific examples
• Shy – comments from Henry James• Insightful/intelligent – understood human
psychology• History buff – inspired by historical events
and people• Well-connected – political appointments• Vengeful – “Custom House”