Biography of Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts, on July 4, 1804. His parents were Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Elizabeth Clark Manning. His father dies of yellow fever when he was four years old. He then grew up in the manning household with his grandparents, uncles, and aunts. Nathaniel Hawthorne was fond of taking long walks by himself and reading excessively. He studied Shakespeare, Pope, Milton, and Thompson. He went on adventures while he took these long walks and he wrote about his adventures, this is how his writing skills developed. When Nathaniel Hawthorne turned 15 he moved to Maine with his uncle and later attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick. While in college he did poorly in most classes accept his literary classes, in which he excelled. He graduated 3 years later. While in college He became friends with Henry W. Longfellow, Franklin Pierce, and Henry D. Thoreau. After college he returned to Salem, Massachusetts and resided in the manning household. He then withdrew f rom society. H followed the same schedule everyday. He studied in the morning, took long walks in the afternoon, and then wrote in the evening. In 1828 he published his first book anonymously, Fanshawe. He later then destroyed all copies and was not proud of it. His first publication that was a success was â€Å"The Token†, and â€Å"Peter Parley†. In 1830 he served as an editor for a number of publications. He also began to write children’s books. He then took a job in a custom house. In 1840 he left his job knowing that he would soon be fired due to the outcome of the election going on during that time. He married Sophia Amelia Peabody. In 1844 he had his first daughter. He then returned to Salem due to financial pressures. â€Å"Him losing his job turned out to be a blessing as he had the time to write some of his best works†. Such as The Scarlet Letter, The House of Seven Gables, and The Birthdale Romance. In 1860, he published The Marble Faun, our old home, and later went on a tour with Franklin Pierce because Pierce was running for president. Nathaniel Hawthorne lived in an important time period. In 1820-1830, Nathaniel Hawthorne was about 16-26 years old. During that time the Erie canal made new York the empire state, also during that time period Andrew Jackson’s inaugural party wrecked the white house. In 1830-1840 when Nathaniel Hawthorne was about 26-36 years old. During that time Andrew Jackson beat up the man who tried to kill him, also during that time Charles Darwin visits the Galapagos Island, and the idea of natural selection and survival of the  fittest is introduced to the world. During 1840-1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne was 36-46 years old. The gold fever struck California and people were greedy and ambitious. Also during that time in 1852 Franklin pierce was elected president. Nathaniel Hawthorne helped Pierce with the campaigns for the election. During 1850-1870 Nathaniel Hawthorne was 46 and he died and in 1864 he died. During that time compromises over slavery delayed the civil war, and then later the United States was torn over the civil war. Nathaniel Hawthorne accomplished a multitude of things during his lifetime and at a young age as well, but in his early years when he was four his father died. Nathaniel Hawthorne was the only boy but had two other sisters. His early years were spent in Salem, Massachusetts. When he graduated from Bowdoin college he went on summer tours through the northeast. He in 1839 he took a job in a custom house in Boston, and served as an editor for a number of publications. He also started out his writing career, writing children’s books. However in 1840, he resigned knowing he would be fired. In 1842 he married Sophia Amelia Peabody, and in 1844 his first daughter was born. A few years later, financial pressures forced him to return to Salem with his family. He then became a surveyor of the port of Salem. In the early 1850’s he lived in red house in Lennox and made a friendship with Novelist, Herman Melville. In 1853-1858 Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote a campaign biography for Franklin Pierce, he was later rewarded with united states consulship at Liverpool. Since the civil war was going on during that time he wrote articled about the civil war and his last years he joined an experimental brook farm community filled with transcendentalist. He then went to Europe and spent seven years there before he died of a brain tumor in his sleep. Nathaniel Hawthorne is a unique writer and had a unique writing style heoften wrote about the daily life and community and puritan destruction. Although he was a puritan he was not the typical puritan writer and wrote from a different perspective about the puritan life. His most The novel The Scarlet Letter is perhaps one of the most widely-read and most representative of many of the themes in the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Aside from the fact that it is set during the Puritan period in American history, it deals with many subjects other works, most notably his famous short story The Minister’s Black Veil, approach—the theme of sin, especially secret sin. Hawthorne was fascinated with the idea of sin and punishment and  this theme is expressed overtly in The Scarlet Letter by the wearing of the embroidered letter itself and covertly through many of the minor characters such as Roger Chillingworth are literally eaten away by sin. Like Esther’s lover the preacher in The Scarlet Letter who is troubled by secret sin, so too is the minister in the short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Minister’s Black Veil. Aside from using the allegory form to tell moral tales, it is important to note that the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne are not at all simple mortality tales with a religious purpose. Hawthorne was writing during the Romanticism movement and he also seeks to explore themes of nature and humankind as well as to push the limits of human imagination and creativity. One mark of this style is the use of the supernatural, which certainly occurs in nearly every tale by Nathaniel Hawthorne, although to different extents. Novels such as, The House of the Seven Gables. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s contribution to American literature can be taken literally or simply his introduction of a new writing style and a different view on puritan ways. In 1824 he published Fanshawe anonymously, and leter that year he published â€Å"the token† and peter parley. In 1832 he published young goodman brown† Roger malvin’s burial† and â€Å"My Kinsman major malineux†Ã¢â‚¬ a women’s tale â€Å" The hollow of the three hills†. In 1835 he published â€Å"anthencieum†. In 1837 he published, â€Å"twice told tales† American Magazine of useful and entertaining knowledge. In 1841 he published â€Å"grandfathers chains†* and the next year he published†democratic review† and his most famous work was published in 1845