Although Nathaniel Hawthorne professed himself a
Unitarian, there was much of the classically Puritan traits within him, one of which was
a keen interest in the welfare of the community. Thus, his interest in the history of
the colonies, especially his native Massachusetts, ran deep. Hyatt H. Waggoner, author
of Nathaniel Hawthorne writes,"Salem was part of him for good or
evil."
As a historical romance, The Scarlet
Letter evinces Hawthorne's historical concerns; tying these concerns to real
characters such as Goody Cloyse and Deacon Goodkin assisted Hawthorne in his efforts to
create what he called an "authentic" past. In his essay "The Custom House" that
prefaces the novel, Hawthorne expressed an ancestral guilt that he had inherited from
Judge Hathorne who sentenced several persons guilty of witchcraft. Because he felt that
the nation both enabled and impeded the lives of its constituents and the telling of its
histories, with the creation of this "authentic" past, Nathaniel Hawthorne hoped to lend
his novel historical importance that would serve to give insight into the past as well
as into the very nature of the human soul.
No comments:
Post a Comment