Analysis of The Scarlett Letter Essay -- Literary Analysis

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a man of business, politics, nature, morals, dedication and imagination who was greatly haunted by the actions of his Puritan ancestors (Gollin 360). Being one of the pioneers of noteworthy American literature, Hawthorne used the issues of his time and the history of Puritan New England as his settings. He was the son of Nathaniel Hathorne and Elizabeth Manning and was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. After his father’s death, Hawthorne and his family moved to their mother’s house. Later, he went to Bowdoin College and graduated in 1825. Here, he became friends with future U.S. president Franklin Pierce. He lacked interest in medicine, ministry and law, so he chose to write (Gollin 358). Perchance in shame of sharing a tie with men like John and William Hathorne, he then added a w to his last name. His early works were short stories put into periodicals and eventually into the Twice Told Tales which earned him fame. Then, he spent a year at both the Boston Custom House and the utopian Brook Farm. Both of these experiences stifled his imagination, and so he left. After marrying Sophia Peabody and having children, Hawthorne became destitute. So, he earned through Democratic Party ties a stable job at the Salem Custom House but lost it when the Whigs took over. So, he began to write again and produced his greatest acclaimed works. Eventually, President Pierce appointed him as the U.S. consul in Liverpool. From Liverpool, he moved to Italy, where he wrote a novel, back to England and finally back to Concord, Massachusetts. There, he died on May 19, 1864. Hawthorne covered the literary gamut with children’s books and short stories to powerful novels. Ultimately, Hawthorne represents how the issues ... ...Book Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. Chicago: World, 2009. 114-115. Print. Delaney, Bill. â€Å"Hawthorne, Nathaniel.† Magill’s Survey of American Literature. Rev. ed. Pasadena: Salem, 2007. Literary Reference Center. Web. 23 Dec. 2010. . Gollin, Rita K. â€Å"Hawthorne, Nathaniel.† American National Biography. Ed. Garraty and Carnes. Vol. 10. New York City : Oxford UP, 1999. 356-363. Print. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne.† Preface. The Scarlet Letter. By Hawthorne. New York City: Bantam, 1988. N. pag. Print. - - -. The Scarlet Letter. 1850. New York City: Bantam, 1988. Print. Liukkonen, Petri, and Ari Pesonen. â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne.† Kirjasto. N.p., 2008. Web. 23 Dec. 2010. .