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Nathaniel Hawthorne Facts & Worksheets

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a novelist and short-story writer who mastered allegorical and symbolic tales. Renowned as one of the greatest American fiction writers, he is primarily recognized for his works “The Scarlet Letter” (1850) and “The House of the Seven Gables” (1851).

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Nathaniel Hawthorne was a novelist and short-story writer who mastered allegorical and symbolic tales. Renowned as one of the greatest American fiction writers, he is primarily recognized for his works “The Scarlet Letter” (1850) and “The House of the Seven Gables” (1851).

See the fact file below for more information about Nathaniel Hawthorn, or you can download our 28-page Nathaniel Hawthorne worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY YEARS

  • His family had connections to Salem, Massachusetts, for a long time, and he was born there on July 4, 1804.
  • Salem had been home to Hawthorne’s ancestors since the seventeenth century. When Nathaniel started writing, he added the ‘w’ to the name of his earliest American ancestor, William Hathorne, a magistrate who had given a Quaker woman a public lashing punishment. 
  • With its emotional support of a “pure,” unaffected style of religious worship, its strict commitment to a straightforward, almost austere way of life, and its belief in the “natural depravity” of “fallen” man, he had operated as a stalwart defender of Puritan orthodoxy. 
  • Later in life, Hawthorne began to question if this act—as well as William’s son John’s position as one of the three judges in the 1692 Salem witchcraft trials—and the other Salem families’ increasing wealth from the lucrative shipping trade, were the causes of his family’s decline in prosperity and notoriety during the 18th century. 
  • During one of his trips, Nathaniel’s father, a ship captain, passed away, leaving his young widow and four-year-old son without any means of support. She moved in with the Mannings, her wealthy brothers. 
  • Hawthorne was raised in their Salem home and spent a significant amount of his adolescence in Raymond, Maine, on the banks of Sebago Lake. 
  • After four years in Brunswick, Maine’s Bowdoin College, he returned to Salem in 1825. As a young man, Hawthorne did not set himself apart. Instead, he read literature for almost a decade and attempted to become a master fiction writer.

FIRST WORKS

  • Hawthorne initially excelled in college composition, deciding to pursue a writing career. Despite deeming his self-published novel Fanshawe unworthy and attempting to destroy all copies, he rapidly gained literary recognition. 
  • By 1832, he had published notable stories like “Roger Malvin’s Burial,” “My Kinsman, Major Molineux,”  etc. In 1835, “Young Goodman Brown,” considered one of the best witchcraft stories, was released.
  • To support himself, Hawthorne worked at the Boston Custom House. 
  • Despite his first signed “Twice-Told Tales” earning acclaim in 1837, financial stability eluded him until 1842, when his writing allowed him to marry Sophia Peabody. 
  • They moved to the Concord Old Manse, enjoying a joyful three-year marriage.
  • Concord, a hub of transcendentalist thinkers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Thoreau, influenced Hawthorne. Despite not fully embracing transcendentalist ideas, he appreciated the company. 
  • Artists didn’t bolster his confidence, but he welcomed visits from Franklin Pierce, his former classmate and future president. Writing at the Old Manse, Hawthorne faced familiar success but financial struggles. His collection “Mosses from an Old Manse” was published in 1846.

RETURN TO SALEM

  • Forced by family expansion and mounting debt, the Hawthornes returned to Salem in 1845. Nathaniel secured a political appointment as surveyor of the Custom House but lost the job in 1849 with the Whigs’ presidential victory.
  • Despite the bitterness, he used the time to create his masterpiece, “The Scarlet Letter,” gaining acclaim as one of the best American novels.
  • Leaving Salem behind, Hawthorne moved to Lenox, focusing on “The House of the Seven Gables” (1851), a tale of the cursed Pyncheon family. 
  • In Lenox, he enjoyed Herman Melville’s company, though the friendship was more significant to Melville. 
  • The one-sided nature became evident, and Melville later portrayed Hawthorne unfavorably in his works.
  • Relocating to West Newton in 1851, Hawthorne wrote “The Blithedale Romance,” drawing from his disillusionment with Brook Farm. 
  • He purchased Bronson Alcott’s Concord home, The Wayside, hoping for financial improvement. 
  • Disappointed with the revenue of “Blithedale,” he penned a campaign biography for Franklin Pierce, leading to a consulship in Liverpool in 1853. This post aimed to support his family financially in the future.

LAST YEARS

  • From a creative perspective, the final 11 years of Hawthorne’s life were unimpressive. He dutifully and successfully carried out his consular duties until his appointment was terminated in 1857 when he traveled around Italy for a year and a half. 
  • He eventually withdrew to a coastal village in England, determined to write yet another romance, and soon created “The Marble Faun.” 
  • He wrote an allegory of the “fall of man,” a theme usually assumed in his earlier works but now received direct and intelligent treatment. 
  • He leaned extensively on the experiences and feelings he had documented in a notebook during his trip to Italy.
  • Once again, at the Wayside in 1860, Hawthorne gave his whole attention to writing but could not move on with his ideas for a new book.
  • His unfinished work drafts are primarily incoherent and exhibit numerous indications of a psychological relapse, which had previously been hinted at by his growing restlessness and dissatisfaction during the previous six years. 
  • He started to age exceptionally quickly, perhaps two years before he passed away.
  • He started getting regular nosebleeds, white hair, altered handwriting, and an obsessive habit of writing 64 on scraps of paper. While traveling in pursuit of health with his friend Pierce, he passed away. 

LEGACY

  • Hawthorne’s standing among American fiction writers can be attributed to a minimum of three factors. He was, first and foremost, a master craftsman with a remarkable sense of form in architecture. 
  • For instance, the structure of “The Scarlet Letter” is so well-integrated that removing even a single chapter or paragraph would not harm the work as a whole. 
  • The plot is so well-woven that it rises slowly but inexorably to the climactic scene of Dimmesdale’s public confession. The four characters are entwined in a web of life situations that seem to have no end.
  • Hawthorne’s other works, particularly the shorter ones known as tales, share the same precise structure. 
  • Hawthorne also created a traditional literary style renowned for its assurance of idiom, firmness, directness, and clarity.
  • The moral wisdom of Hawthorne is a further factor in his eminence. He was profoundly preoccupied with the ideas of original sin and guilt as well as the concerns of conscience and the law, having inherited the Puritan legacy of moral earnestness. 
  • Hawthorne disapproved of the Transcendentalists’ apparent overconfidence in the possibilities of human nature. 
  • Instead, he took a closer and possibly more truthful look at life, discovering not just a great deal of pain and strife but also the redemptive power of love.
  • His writings are a strong and determined examination of the psychological and moral realities of the human condition rather than a romantic retreat.
  • Hawthorne’s proficiency with symbolism and metaphor is a third factor in his notoriety. The acts and predicaments of his fictional characters rather readily indicate broader generalizations about the issues facing human life. 
  • However, with Hawthorne, this results in a somber, focused emotional engagement with his characters that has the force, the weight, and the inevitable quality of actual tragedy rather than in convincing pasteboard figurines with descriptive labels attached. 
  • His use of symbolism in “The Scarlet Letter” is powerful, as the letter assumes a more profound meaning and usage unrelated to its original state as a piece of cloth. 
  • The most enduring tradition in American fiction established by Hawthorne’s writings is the symbolic romance, which examines the intricacies and ambiguities of human choice while assuming that guilt is a universal emotion. His best short stories, including “The Scarlet Letter,” are distinguished by a level of moral and psychological insight that few American writers have ever reached.

Nathaniel Hawthorne Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Nathaniel Hawthorne across 28 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Nathaniel Hawthorne. Renowned as one of the greatest American fiction writers, he is primarily recognized for his works “The Scarlet Letter” (1850) and “The House of the Seven Gables” (1851).

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Nathaniel Hawthorne Facts
  2. Hawthorne’s Life 
  3. The Scarlet Letter
  4. Character Exploration
  5. Modern-Day Hawthorne
  6. Symbols Unveiled
  7. News Report
  8. Symbolic Persona
  9. Hawthorne’s Insights
  10. Veil of Secrets
  11. Gothic Drama

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Nathaniel Hawthorne?

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. He is best known for his works that explore themes of sin, guilt, and the complexities of human nature. Some of his most famous works include “The Scarlet Letter,” “The House of the Seven Gables,” and “Young Goodman Brown.”

What is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s most famous work, and what is it about?

Hawthorne’s most famous work is “The Scarlet Letter,” published in 1850. The novel is set in 17th-century Puritan Massachusetts and follows the story of Hester Prynne, a woman who is shunned by her community after bearing an illegitimate child. The novel explores themes of sin, redemption, and the consequences of societal judgment.

What inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing?

Hawthorne’s writing often drew inspiration from his Puritan ancestry and the history of New England. His fascination with the darker aspects of human nature and the impact of guilt and sin can be traced back to his own family history, which included a judge in the Salem Witch Trials.

How did Nathaniel Hawthorne contribute to American literature?

Nathaniel Hawthorne is considered one of the key figures in American literature, particularly in the development of the American novel. His exploration of psychological and moral themes set the stage for later American writers, and his nuanced portrayal of characters and settings had a lasting impact on the literary landscape.

Did Nathaniel Hawthorne have any notable literary friendships or associations?

Yes, Hawthorne had friendships with several prominent writers of his time, including Herman Melville. The two writers formed a close friendship, and Melville dedicated his novel “Moby-Dick” to Hawthorne. Despite their stylistic differences, their friendship highlights the interconnectedness of literary circles during the 19th century.

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