Biography
Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. His parents were Nathaniel Hathorne and Elizabeth Hathorne (Manning). When Nathaniel was four years old his father died in a shipwreck, leaving his wife, two daughters, and Nathaniel behind. His mother had a difficult time raising the children alone so their family eventually moved in with Elizabeth’s brothers, also in Salem. Nathaniel attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, for four years. While he was in college he realized he wanted to be a writer and would do anything to accomplish his dream. A few years after he graduated college, he published a few of his first of many brilliant works. Nathaniel’s success grew rapidly throughout his lifetime and he is known “one of the greatest fiction writers in American literature.” Nathaniel lived a very successful life, until he died in 1864. People are still inspired and touched by his works today.
Work Cited
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nathaniel-Hawthorne
Hawthorne Literary Devices
Literary Device – Foreshadowing: from “The Birthmark” (pg.335), “the deeper went the knife, the deeper sank the hand, until at length its tiny grasp appeared to have caught hold of Georgiana’s heart; whence, her husband was inexorably resoled to cut or wrench it away.”
I chose this because it is a great example of foreshadowing. These words from her dream, foreshadow the death of Georgiana, and also show that it will be at the hand of her husband. I found these words very powerful, and also a warning. Georgiana loved her husband so much and wanted to do anything to please him, even if it would be the death of her.
Literary Device – Round or Dynamic Character from the story “The Birthmark” I believe Georgiana is the Dynamic character. She undergoes some kind of change in response to circumstances and experiences. Throughout the story Georgiana hesitates to let her husband experiment on her birthmark, but she eventually gives in and lets him experiment. Because of this, she is the dynamic character.
Perspective Reading Response
“The Birthmark,” Nathaniel Hawthorne, pg. 333-343.
Question: What does Goodman Brown’s pursuit of sin have in common with Aylmer’s quest for perfection in “The Birthmark”?
I think these two are similar because both Goodman Brown and Aylmer searched for or wanted something so badly, they lost sight of the good thing they already had. They created their own problems because they couldn’t except their citations the way they were. One thing I did notice was that they only ever wanted to do what they thought was best for their wives. They wanted to make their wives happy, but may not have realized that they already were. They took them for granted.
Merit of Study
At first it was hard for me to understand these stories, but in the end I really liked them. I enjoyed reading and learning about them. There are many great lessons we can learn from them as well. I find Hawthorne to be a brilliant writer. His stories have so many powerful hidden meanings.
While I was reading “The Birthmark”(pg.333), I discovered things about myself I really did not know or pay attention to before. Another reason Hawthorne is a great author is because his stories can have that effect on people. Even though his stories or fictional, people can have a real connection with them. After reading Hawthorne’s “On Solitude” (pg. 334-335), it gave me a better understanding of his stories and how they relate to himself. Hawthorne seemed very lonely, empty, and searching for something. I can also see these traits portrayed in each one of his stories.
I really enjoyed reading Nathaniel Hawthorne’s stories. He is such a brilliant author, and his writings are very powerful. We can learn many great lessons from Hawthorne’s stories, and maybe even discover things about ourselves we did not know before. Out of all Hawthorne’s writings, “The Birthmark” is by far my favorite.
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